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The cyclone tracking towards Australia on Wednesday night. Photo: ABC / Bureau of Meteorology
Cyclone Alfred's western edge is already is already having an effect on Australia's east coast.
Weather experts are predicting it will cross the coast early on Friday morning with damaging wind gusts, storms, and heavy rainfall expected to impact a large warning zone spanning Queensland and NSW.
It is expected to make landfall between the Gold Coast and southern parts of Wide Bay region as early as Thursday evening as a category 2 cyclone.
The tropical cyclone warning zone extends from Double Island Point in Queensland to Grafton in New South Wales, including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and Ballina but not including Grafton, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said.
"Tropical Cyclone Alfred will continue its approach towards the southeast Queensland coast, with the far western edge already impacting the coast from about Coolangatta to Ballina.
"Alfred is a category 2 cyclone, and is forecast to maintain this intensity as it continues to approach the southeast Queensland coast.
"The centre of Alfred is expected to cross the coast during Friday, most likely between Maroochydore and Coolangatta."
Right now, BOM says damaging wind gusts of 120 kilometres an hour are developing near the coast from Coolangatta to Ballina.
"Destructive wind gusts of up to 155 kilometres per hour may develop about coastal and island locations near and to the south of the track, possibly as far south as about Cape Byron, late Thursday or early Friday as Alfred's destructive core approaches and crosses the coast."
Cyclone Alfred's western edge already hitting Australia's east coast
Weather experts are predicting it will cross the coast early on Friday morning with damaging wind gusts, storms, and heavy rainfall.
www.rnz.co.nz
