Australia has prepared for a rare tropical cyclone of the East Coast which swirls towards Brisbane, its third most populated city, the authorities urging residents of the subjected subjuts to floods to evacuate soon.
Storm warnings extended more than 500 kilometers through the coast in the States of Queensland and New South Wales on Wednesday, which concerns millions of people.
Destructive gusts of wind up to 155 km / h could develop from Thursday afternoon, and Tropical Cyclone Alfred should land as a category 2 storm early Friday morning near Brisbane, the capital of Queensland.
Total precipitation of the event could reach 800 mm in certain regions, more than the average total for Mars and could cause potentially fatal floods, said the meteorology office.
“It is a very rare event for the southeast of Queensland … It has been several decades that this part of the state has lived [a cyclone]”The Prime Minister of Queensland, David Crisafulli, told journalists.
He called on residents to take into account evacuation orders.
“If you are in a storm tidal area or if you are in an area where you know there are river floods, you must really consider and think about your evacuation plan now,” said Crisafulli.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said heavy helicopters had been deployed and proposed to “provide the necessary resources to the governments of the States.
Many residents have left their home while the authorities rush to open evacuation centers. The sandbags are in shortage and the shelves of the supermarkets have been stripped naked while people get their supplies on the essentials.
The Southeast of Queensland and northern South Wales were hit for the last time by a cyclone more than half a century ago in 1974. The last time a cyclone threatened Brisbane was in 1990, but the system followed the South just before reaching the city.
Southeast Queensland schools will close and public transport will close on Thursday and Friday.
A total of 122 schools in northern South Wales will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, and vulnerable residents will be invited to move before Thursday morning, said Chris Minns, Prime Minister of South South.
“We have to relieve over the next 48 hours and go through what can be a very difficult period,” he told journalists.
Qantas said that he had canceled a number of southeast flights from Queensland and northern New South Wales and that others were probably in the coming days.
The WPGA championship event co-canceled by the Ladies European Tour was canceled and the Australian Football League postponed two games in southern Queensland.
