One man died in floodwaters, the authorities said, and over 330,000 customers were without power in South East Queensland.

Ex-tropical cyclone Alfred lingered off the south-east Australian coast on Saturday and forecasters said Brisbane is likely to miss the worst of the storm, a relief for millions of residents in the region who have been staying indoors.

Millions of people on Australia's eastern coast face destructive winds and heavy rain as the region endures the southernmost tropical cyclone to hit the continent in over 50 years.