Strong winds have already cut power to thousands of homes, and Brisbane Airport has been closed, with hundreds of flights now suspended. The State Emergency Service has ordered evacuations in Lismore and other parts of northern New South Wales by 9pm.
The tropical storm, named Alfred, is on track to bring dangerous winds and flooding along the coast of southeastern Queensland, including the country’s third-largest city.
Katie Bunton shared a video of the scene of "apocalypse" at a supermarket in Australia as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches the country's east coast.
The maps show the predicted flood extent for the most at-risk areas of Brisbane, based on Bureau of Meteorology forecasts.
Tropical cyclone Alfred is a reminder that powerful storms have the power to show up in some surprising places.
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Early wind and rain from a rare tropical cyclone began lashing part of eastern Australia on Thursday as schools were closed, public transport was stopped and desperate residents got around shortages of sandbags by buying potting mix.