Powerful waves could cause floods and coastal erosion as a tropical cyclone narrows on Queensland’s coast, but the category three system is unlikely to reach the mainland.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred was roughly 690km east of Mackay late Friday afternoon and producing wind gusts of 230kmh at its centre.
“That is exceptionally powerful wind out over these open waters,” Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines said earlier in the day.
The Category 4 cyclone was expected to come within around 400km of the mainland on Saturday. So far, gusts of between 70kmh and 80kmh have hit Queensland’s coastal zones.
Campers have been urged to leave K’gari, Inskip and Cooloola camping areas while it is safe to do so and bookings have been closed for sites in these protected areas.
Meanwhile, waves have been filmed crashing over Bribie Island, amid concerns of another tidal breakthrough.
The bureau has issued a coastal hazards warning for damaging surf and abnormally high tides, likely causing coastal erosion and inundation of low low-lying areas.
“Even if we forgot about Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the tides this weekend would be very high,” Mr Hines said.
“When you throw in the influence of the tropical cyclone, those tides could now be half a metre higher than the highest tides of the year.”
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The warning applies from Gladstone down to Coolangatta and includes Bundaberg, Sandy Cape, Fraser Island, Noosa Heads, the Sunshine Coast and outer parts of Brisbane.
Queenslanders have been urged to prepare for outages.
“We’ve started our preparations right along the Queensland coast and urging Queenslanders to do the same,” Ergon and Energex area manager Renee Kath said.
“We can start to see the impacts of a cyclone well before it crosses the coast as winds pick up and bring down trees, branches and other debris into overhead powerlines, so you should be prepared for potential lengthy power interruptions.”
Flooding also has the potential to impact the underground power network, she said.
Sunshine Coast Council’s Disaster and Emergency coordinator Jason Membrey said the chance of a significant event was low at this stage, but the situation would be closely monitored by council.
“Water levels on the high tide could exceed the highest tide of the year by around half a metre Saturday morning, which could lead to minor foreshore flooding and coastal erosion,” he said.
“Council is monitoring our beaches and will continue to update the community where any impacts or closures are identified. ”
Council stated that it was actively monitoring and preparing for potential inundation in areas typically affected by abnormal high tides and large swells, such as Currimundi Lake, Golden Beach (Bribie Island), and the Pumicestone Passage.
Mr Membrey encouraged residents to prepare for severe weather this weekend.
“Planning ahead for severe weather can help prevent unnecessary risks and help keep yourself, your family and your property safe,” he said.
“Make sure you have everything you and your family may need in case you lose power or are cut off by flood water or fallen trees.”
The cyclone is expected to be downgraded to category two on Saturday, moving south-west towards the Queensland coast before turning south-east on Sunday and tracking parallel to the state’s Capricornia coast, well away from land.
There is a possibility it could make its way back towards the coast at the Queensland-NSW border later next week, the bureau warned.
“This is why we’re going to continue to keep such a close watch on the system, even once it starts to move away,” Mr Hines said, urging people to keep up to date with forecasts.
A statement from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service said the safety of campers in the state’s national parks, particularly at K’gari, Inskip and Cooloola, was top priority and bookings for camping would be re-opened when it was safe to do so.
“We urge those leaving camping areas to drive safely, stay off the dunes and follow the instructions of QPWS rangers and emergency services,” the statement said.
“Once the cyclonic conditions have passed, QPWS will assess the protected areas and reopen them when it is safe to do so.”
The Queensland Police Service also issued a press release warning coastal communities from central Queensland to the NSW border to expect dangerous coastal conditions and possible flooding.
State disaster coordinator Deputy Commissioner Shane Chelepy urged Queenslanders to avoid risky behaviour.
“People should avoid swimming and surfing at beaches along these watch zones, or walking near surf-exposed areas, to avoid being caught in dangerous conditions,” he said.
Surf Life Saving Queensland also called on anyone considering visiting the beach to refer to the BOM warnings and heed the guidance of lifeguards and volunteer lifesavers before going near the water.
“We urge Queenslanders to heed lifeguard and volunteer lifesaver warnings, read the written safety boards at beaches and follow Bureau of Meteorology official updates for their local areas,” SLSQ lifesaving services manager Natalie Edwards said.
Council and Get Ready Queensland recommend you prepare by
- Cleaning up the yard and house
- Completing your emergency plan
- Shopping for emergency kit items
- Packing your emergency kit
- Practising your evacuation plan
- Checking weather reports
- Looking after household pets
There are a few simple steps you can take to get your family ready:
- Step one: Understand your risk, learn what can happen where you live and how it could affect your family.
- Step two: Make a household emergency plan, so your family knows what to do and who to contact. It will give you peace of mind to have important information in one place.
- Step three: Pack an emergency kit
- Stay informed with Sunshine Coast Council’s Disaster Hub at disaster.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au for up-to-date information and links to key emergency services in one location, including: weather warnings, road closures, evacuation centres, airport updates, traffic cameras and flood mapping. It’s also a great idea to sign up for weather notifications from the Bureau of Meteorology at bom.gov.au. For disaster preparedness resources visit Get Ready Queensland at getready.qld.gov.au.
