Australia cancels more than 200 flights as rare Category 2 storm nears east coast - Queensland premier warns residents to prepare now for 'extremely rare event'

BoM senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury gives an update on Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Alfred is forecast to make landfall near Brisbane, the capital of Queensland and Australia’s third largest city.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is forecast to make landfall near Brisbane as a Category 2 storm on Friday or Saturday.

Brisbane airport was closed as the centre of Alfred is expected to cross the coast very early Saturday morning, most likely between Noosa and Coolangatta of Queensland accordinng to Australia's Bureau

Australia's Tropical Cyclone Alfred was originally set to be named Cyclone Anthony before the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) made a last-minute switch, according to SBS News. The change was made to avoid confusion with Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's name, following BoM's policy of skipping names that match prominent public figures.

There are differences in weather terms between Australia and the Philippines, but heavy rain and floods are equally dangerous, so it's important to be informed and stay safe.

The Bureau of Meteorology's latest three-month outlook issued indicates a mean temperature more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels for most of Australia.

Weather experts are predicting it will cross the coast early on Friday morning with damaging wind gusts, storms, and heavy rainfall.

Australia’s east coast is bracing for tidal surges, intense rainfall, strong winds and flooding as a cyclone is expected to veer toward the country’s third-biggest city.

SYDNEY: Communities across southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales (NSW) are preparing for the first tropical cyclone to make direct landfall, forecast to be on Thursday, in the region since two other similar rare cyclones hit the part of the two Australian states in 1974.