By SYDNEY — Australia braced for a rare east coast tropical cyclone that is swirling toward Brisbane, its third-most populous city, with authorities urging residents in flood-prone suburbs to evacuate soon.
Storm warnings Wednesday stretched for 311 miles across the coast in the states of Queensland and New South Wales, affecting millions of people.
Destructive wind gusts of up to 96 mph could develop starting Thursday afternoon and Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to land as a Category 2 storm early Friday near Brisbane, Queensland’s capital.
Total rainfall from the event could be as much as 31.5 inches in some regions, more than the average total for March, and could cause life-threatening flash flooding, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
“This is a very rare event for southeast Queensland … it has been many decades since this part of the state experienced (a cyclone),” Queensland Premier David Crisafulli told reporters.
He called on residents to heed evacuation orders.
