Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred live updates: South-east Queensland and northern NSW battered by wild storms
By PADRAIG COLLINS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA[1]
Published: 21:18, 8 March 2025 | Updated: 01:38, 9 March 2025
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred made landfall between Brisbane and Maroochydore at 9pm Queensland time on Saturday.[2][3]
Authorities have warned that south-east Queensland and northern NSW are in for a battering with heavy rain, gale force winds and flash flooding bombarding the region.[4]
Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of the tropical low.
Lismore is flooded again - but warning for local river now downgraded
Three years after the devastating floods of 2022, the city of Lismore in the Northern Rivers region of NSW is again flooded.
Despite this, though, the flood warning for Lismore's Wilsons River has been downgraded from major to moderate by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), as water levels continue to fall.
After peaking at 9.31metres on Saturday, the river level has dropped to 7.2metres and 'may fall below the moderate flood level during Monday', BoM said in a statement.
Major flood warnings are still in place for parts of northern NSW, including the Clarence River at Grafton, Tweed River at Tumbulgum and Richmond River at Wiangaree, Kyogle, Casino, Coraki, Bungawalbyn and Woodburn.
Pictures of the flooding in Limore follow below.
Kitesurfers blasted over 'stupidity' for going out in shocking conditions - and face massive fine
Kitesurfers have been slammed for their 'stupidity' for flying in shocking conditions as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred still wreaks havoc.
The kitesurfers were caught on Channel 7's cameras flying over Currumbin on the Gold Coast on Sunday morning.
'We're on a red zone here that stretches from the Sunshine Coast down to the (NSW) border, of which you cannot be on the beach, you can't be in the water,' Seven's Paul Burt reported.
'There's a £16,000 fine.'
One kitesufer was seen to be about 20 metres in the air, being wildly blown about by the ex-cylone wind.
'He gets a wind gust under the kitesurf and it literally rips him up,' Burt said. 'That's dangerous.
'There's a lot of water pushing out of the Currumbin Creek into this treacherous surf.'
He added that 'if something goes wrong with these guys, there's no one down here to save them.
'Coast Guard SE Rescue VMRs will not go out, nor neither will lifeguards cause they, they're not even on the beach.
'And they shouldn't be either.
So that's just stupidity 101, which is not good.
'Kitesurfing for dummies, I'm sure it'll be released with those blokes as the authors.'
Almost quarter of a million National Broadband Network internet connection outages reported
Connection to the National Broadband Network have been lost across vast swathes of the region affected by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Around 231,000 disruptions have been reported in south-east Queensland and 12,000 in northern NSW, with most being blamed on mains power outages.
'Where possible, we are deploying generators to support connectivity and will continue to work with the emergency authorities to deploy more generators (on Sunday),' NBN said in a statement.
'We are continuing to monitor conditions closely so that we can begin deploying our on-the-ground teams as soon as it is safe to do so.
'Once conditions allow, our crews will assess any damage to network infrastructure and commence repairs.'
The outages are paticularly affecting homes and businesses in the Brisbane City Council area.
Telstra has also reported mobile and landline services are affected south-east Queensland.
Northern NSW residents must boil water before drinking it, but Queensland water is deemed safe
Locals in northern NSW have been urged to boil drinking water after damage to infrastructure in the region.
'There are still boil-water alerts for the Bilambil Heights, Terranora and Banora Point,' SES deputy commissioner Damien Johnston said on Sunday.
'We're moving to try to get those lifted as soon as possible but (the system has been) impacted by power outages and some infrastructure damage as the storm front moved through.'
Mr Johnston added that 'It's really important that residents know that there are still boil-water alerts on for some particular areas' and that the SES would update residents when it was safe to drink tap water again.
In Queensland, though, water authority Seqwater said tap water is safe to drink in all areas, despite power being cut to some pumping stations on Saturday afternoon.
Water was released at North Pine Dam began at 3am on Sunday, while Wivenhoe and Somerset dams are being "actively" monitored.
'We have analysers on all of our water treatment plants,' a Seqwater spokesperson said.
'I can assure you that drinking water that we are providing ... is safe to drink. That being said, we're asking everyone to use water wisely.'
'In the last 24 hours, we've had 20millimetres (of rain) in the Wivenhoe catchment and 35millimetres in Somerset catchment,' the spokesperson said.
'We continue to watch those catchments actively, as well as looking at what's happening in the lower part of the Brisbane River as creeks, streams and rivers flow in.'
Flooding brings joy to two boys with boogie boards
The flooding that has followed ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred has brought misery and tragedy to many in its wake.'
But there are always some who can find some advantage to it, including two boys in the Brisbane suburb of Scarborough, who made good use of their boogies boards.
Heartbreaking past of driver killed in Cyclone Alfred floodwaters - as it's revealed he was struck by tragedy three years earlier
A driver who became the first victim of ex-Cyclone Alfred after he was swept away by floodwaters was struck by tragedy three years earlier.
Tom 'Cookie' Cook, 61, was crossing Wild Cattle Creek Bridge in his ute at Megan, in northern NSW[5], when it was swept away on Friday afternoon.
NSW Government appoints Recovery Coordinator for aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred
The NSW Government has appointed NSW Police Superintendent Scott Tanner as the Recovery Coordinator for the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Mr Tanner will retain his role as Richmond Police District Superintendent, allowing him to deploy the full resources of the NSW Police Force while effectively marshalling all other state government resources.
He played a critical role in the 2022 Northern Rivers floods, serving as the local emergency operations controller and assisting the coordination of recovery efforts across the region.
In June 2024 Mr Tanner was awarded the Australian Police Medal for his role during the 2022 floods.
'This is an anxious time for residents and communities across NSW, which is why we have taken the pre-emptive step and appointed Superintendent Tanner as Recovery Coordinator for ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred,' Planning Minister Paul Scully said.
'When the weather has passed, we can immediately move to recovery.
'We stand with everyone in the storm's path and will continue to provide as much support as needed to help individuals and communities get back on their feet.'
NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib added that 'While we are still assessing the impacts of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, we are preparing for the recovery phase so that every community and person impacted by this event receives support as soon as possible.
'We have taken what we have learnt from previous natural disasters to improve the way we prepare.
'Appointing Superintendent Scott Tanner to help lead the recovery means he can apply his experience from the 2022 floods to assist communities as they deal with the aftermath of this major weather event.'
NSW Reconstruction Authority CEO Mal Lanyon said the authority 'is on the ground in northern NSW working alongside our response agencies to understand impacts and resolve issues as we prepare for recovery.
'There will be no daylight between response and recovery, but in the meantime, I encourage everyone to continue visiting the NSW SES website[6] for the latest information about flooding.
'We are focused on ensuring recovery progresses quickly and seamlessly from response.'
Mr Lanyon added that he had 'worked closely with Superintendent Tanner when I served as Recovery Coordinator myself after the 2022 floods and I can think of no one better placed to begin recovery in the region.
'Appointing Superintendent Tanner provides a dedicated focus on the ground to ensure recovery progresses quickly.'
From early next week, community outreach will begin with the Reconstruction Authority and its partners checking in on communities in key locations.
On Thursday, Recovery Assistance Points will open in Lismore, Tweed South, Ballina and Coffs Harbour.
Woolworths shops in south-east Queensland and northern NSW to reopen after shutting due to Cyclone Alfred
Woolworths said it will reopen shops in southern Queensland and northern NSW that were shut before Cyclone Alfred hit.
'Our thoughts are with those impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred,' a spokesperson said on Sunday.
'We will reopen the majority of our stores in impacted areas this morning where it's safe to do so.
'We have taken a store-by-store approach to reopening based on safe access to stores, continuing weather conditions, any impact to the stores and their operations, team member availability and the advice of local authorities.'
Woolworths said customers can check the operating hours for their local outlet on the company's website[7], which will be regularly updated.
About 320,000 homes without power in south-east Queensland
About 320,000 homes are still without electricity across south-east Queensland, including more than 50,000 in the Brisbane City Council area alone.
Powerful winds are still bringing down trees and power lines, with heavy rain making repair jobs more difficult.
The suburbs affected in Brisbane include The Gap, Rochedale, Acacia Ridge, Bald Hills, Carina, Everton Park, Ferny Grove, Mcdowall, Pallara and Wynnum West.
'We've still got 90km/h gusts, debris flying and we're also keeping an eye on this rain too because we're starting to see a little bit of localised flash flooding,' Energex spokesman Danny Donald said.
'It might slow us down slightly, but the crews are out there now and keen.
'What they're doing today is continuing to assess the damage and also making wholesale repairs.'
Mr Donald said it was 'too early to tell' how many homes would have power restored on Sunday, but crews were aiming to get at least 80,000 back online.
There is a list of the outages on the Energex website[8].
NSW SES rescues people from 17 cars caught in floodwaters - 'dangerous'
The NSW SES has had to rescue people from 17 cars caught up in floodwaters as a result of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
'In the last 24 hours we have had 917 incidents in total and 17 as a result of cars entering floodwaters,' SES Commissioner Mike Wassing said on Sunday.
'Not only is that a danger to yourself and your family, it is also dangerous for the volunteer and emergency service workers that are doing those rescues.'
Mr Wassing said while most people were obeying the warnings, a 'small minority' continued to drive through floodwaters.
He added that about 14,600 people are still under 36 emergency warnings in the north of the state.
Cruise ship arrival in Brisbane delayed by days by Cyclone Alfred
Cruise ship passengers have been forced to spend days longer than expected at sea due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas was supposed to arrive in Brisbane on Friday after a week of travelling through the South Pacific.
But the cylone meant plans had to hastily be changed and the passengers and crew instead sailed back to Noumea in New Caledonia.
'On Tuesday, the captain made an announcement saying we were going to try and go over Noumea to avoid what we could of the cyclone, but told everyone to prepare for it to be really rough,' an Australian passenger onboard Quantum of the Seas said.
They added that all the deckchairs on the ship were tied down and the pools were closed.
'On Wednesday around lunchtime, the captain made another announcement saying they had decided to extend the cruise as the Port of Brisbane was closed and ... there was no way of getting through the seas, let alone (docking) at Brisbane,' the woman told news.com.au.
Airports reopen as major flood warning issued for Logan River
Airports have reopened, but a major flood warning has been issued for the Logan River in south-east Queensland, while a moderate flood warning has been issued for the Albert River.
Queensland government authority Seqwater began releasing water from North Pine Dam at around 3am on Sunday morning, Brisbane radio station 4BC reported.
Two international flights have already landed after Brisbane Airport reopened, and domestic flights are also now resuming.
Gold Coast Airport is also reopening.
But more than 300,000 homes and businesses across south-east Queensland were still without power on Sunday morning.
Energex crews said reconnecting critical infrastructure is the priority, before getting homes back online.
They hope to reconnect 80,000 customers today.
Power has been restored to Gold Coast University Hospital.
A special red bin collection service is taking place in Brisbane on Sunday, with residents who didn't have their rubbish collected on Thursday and Friday due to the cyclone being prioritised.
Defence Minister Richard Marles speaks about accident that seriously injured military personnel
Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has spoken about accident that injured military personnel on Saturday evening.
He said it happened at about 5.15pm and involved two 40-MIC trucks on the Tregeagle Road near Lismore in northern NSW.
There were 16 people on each truck, he said.
Thirteen were injured in total - six of whom were seriously injured.
They had been doing route clearance work and were moving from one task to another when the incident happened, with both trucks rolled.
'The circumstances of the incident are still being investigated ...
13 were injured, some of them seriously,' Mr Marles said, adding that all are expected to recover.
They are being treated in local hospitals in Byron Bay, Tweed Valley and Lismore.
'The 32 came from the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment, the 7th Service Support Battalion, all being part of 7Brigade based at Gallipoli Barracks in Enoggera in Brisbane,' Mr Marles said.
'The families of all personnel have been notified. We would like to take the opportunity to thank the NSW Police, the NSW Ambulance Service, the NSW State Emergency Service and the NSW Rural Fire Service - all of whom attended on the scene of the accident and performed exemplary duties in supporting those who had been injured.'
He said that all 32 personnel who were involved in the accident had been medically assessed.
'As the Prime Minister said, when the men and women of our Defence Force sign up to wear our nation's uniform, they choose a life of service, and they do so to make a difference.
'They are there to help our fellow Australians. That's what each of these 32 people were doing yesterday in support of those who were feeling the brunt of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in northern New South Wales.
'They did so without question.
They wanted to make a difference. This is why they had signed up. But they also knew that they were in a difficult circumstance where the weather was obviously making conditions treacherous and, in that sense, they were putting themselves voluntarily in danger,' he said.
Mr Marles added that 'We very much thank them for their service and our thoughts are very much with those who have been injured.
'In this moment, we are reminded about the selflessness of those who wear our nation's uniform, and we are deeply grateful to them.'
Cyclone Alfred could still be a threat for days to come
The Bureau of Meteorology's Jonathan How said ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred could still be a threat until Tuesday or Wednesday.
There will be major flood risks as heavy rain slams northern NSW and south-east Queensland.
Mr How that the inland towns of Moree, Tamworth and Naribri were expected to be hit with heavy rain in the coming days.
''It's been a long-duration event,' he told the ABC.
NSW State Emergency Deputy Commissioner Debbie Platz said the threat from the cyclone and flooding 'is not over by any stretch of the imagination'.
Ms Platz said emergency services were still having to pull people out of cars they had driven through flood waters.
'Overnight in the Nambucca Valley, we had a man who was clinging to the roof of his four-wheel drive,' she said.
'Please, if you don't need to be on the road - stay inside.'
Thousands who were evacuated still can't return to their homes as water is still rising - but some public transport is returning
Thousands of locals have been evacuated and many cannot yet return home as the river levels rise.
The weather event turned deadly when the body of 61-year-old Tom Cook was found after a day-long search.
His ute was swept into floodwaters at Megan, about 25km north of Dorrigo on Friday.
He was able to get out of the ute and climb into a tree about 30metres from the riverbank but was swept away before emergency personnel could reach him.
But there are signs of south-east Queensland slowly coming back to life after halting services for Alfred's arrival.
Public transport, excluding trains and Gold Coast buses, will resume on Sunday while shops, supermarkets and service stations will begin opening on a case-by-case basis
Ferries to Moreton Bay will resume on Sunday for residents stuck on the mainland or the island.
Brisbane and Gold Coast airports are looking to resume flights on Sunday if it is safe to do so.
Severe threat from downpours and flooding from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred
The threat of a downgraded tropical cyclone is not over as downpours and flooding continue, with more than 200,000 homes without power and over a dozen defence force personnel injured in a truck accident.
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred began moving as a tropical low from Queensland's Bribie Island, across the coast and inland towards the state's south-west on Sunday.
But there is more to come, as forecasters expect up to 700mm of rain and destructive gusts to continue through to Monday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of swollen rivers across south-east Queensland and northern NSW leading to flash flooding with more rain looming.
'Today is all about the rainfall that's likely to be experienced around south-east Queensland and far north-eastern NSW,' senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said.
Isolated rainfalls of up to 400mm are expected on Sunday alone with another trough from Central Australia dragging the weather activity inland over northern NSW.
'By Wednesday, the weather system will finally shift all this wet weather to coastal parts of NSW and clearing mid to late week while south-east Queensland should start to see conditions easing from persistent rainfall on Monday,' Mr Narramore said.
Major flooding is also expected at the Wilsons River, which runs through Lismore, where the water height is predicted to reach about 10.6m, touching the top of the levee.
Multiple major flood warnings remain in effect for the Tweed, Richmond, Wilsons, Clarence and Bellinger rivers.
Lismore Deputy Mayor Jeri Hall said around 600 people in the region have sought shelter in evacuation centres, adding that all eyes are on the levees possibly overflowing.
'It is hitting us hard and it was only the flood anniversary a couple of weeks ago so everybody is feeling it,' she told the ABC on Sunday.
'We're still in recovery from 2022. So how long is a piece of string?
It really breaks your spirit.
The emergency disaster has also affected those sent to help flood victims with two army trucks crashing south of Lismore on Saturday, injuring more than a dozen people.
NSW Police said in a statement the trucks did not collide with each other.
'One vehicle left the roadway and rolled several times into a paddock, and a second vehicle tipped onto its side attempting to avoid the first vehicle.'
NSW Premier Chris Minns was concerned to hear of the injuries and said the state's emergency services would provide all necessary support.
'They came to the Northern Rivers to help keep this community safe,' he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles said the focus was on the personnel and their families.
'Our ADF heroes were on their way to help Australians in need,' they said in a statement.
Tragic final moments of man who died in floodwaters
A man who died in floodwaters near Dorrigo in northern NSW has been identified as Tom Cook, 61.
Mr Cook, who was also known as Cookie, lived alone with his dog in Megan, north-east of Dorrigo.
A wide-scale search was launched after his ute was swept off the Wild Cattle Creek Bridge at Megan on Friday.
He managed to get out of the ute and climbed onto a tree near the riverbank, but emergency personnel were unable to reach him before he was swept away.
Police say a man's body was found nearby about 4.30pm on Saturday.
'I burst into tears from the shock when I heard what happened to him,' she said.
'Just last weekend he came over to say "hey, how are you going?" He was very friendly and always popped out for a chat.'
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Mr Cook's death was 'tragic news' and that his thoughts were with his loved ones and the local community.
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred's wrath is laid bare in horrifying footage
Wild footage captured the moment a roof was ripped off a home in a City of Brisbane suburb.
Terrified neighbours filmed gale force winds ripping it off a house at Brighton on Saturday night.
Alfred may have been downgraded to a tropical low, but the hellish weather system has still brought damaging winds, heavy rainfall and flash flooding to south-east Queensland and northern NSW.
Wind gusts up to 100km/h were recorded overnight with significant damage reported in the coastal Brisbane suburb of Redcliffe.
More than 300,000 homes left without power
More than 330,000 homes were still without power across south-east Queensland and northern NSW on Sunday.
Some 315,406 people in Queensland are currently impacted, according to Energex.
Of that figure, 112,300 are on the Gold Coast and 50,000 are in Brisbane.
Around 16,000 homes between Tweed Heads and Grafton, in NSW, do not have electricity, according to Essential Energy.
Ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred packs a punch despite downgrade as it crosses the coast
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred has hammered south-east Queensland with cyclonic-strenghth winds overnight despite being downgraded before finally making landfall about 9pm on Saturday.
Wind gusts up to 100km/h were recorded overnight with significant damage reported in the coastal Brisbane suburb of Redcliffe.
A Category 1 cyclone has wind gusts for between 63km/h and 88km/h.
More than 320,000 homes across the south-east of the state have been left without power on Sunday morning.
Two people have been reported injured by falling trees in seperate incidents at Redcliffe and as Lawnton, in the Moreton Bay region, with one taken to hospital.
'Paramedics have transported a stable patient to the Prince Charles Hospital with minor injuries after a tree reportedly fell onto a house on Francis Road in Lawnton at 7.50pm,' a Queensland Ambulance Service spokesperson told Brisbane Times[9].
'There were three other occupants in the house, but they did not require transport.'
It comes as Brisbane Airport has reopened, but many flights remain cancelled.
All domestic flights due to depart before 7am have been cancelled while almost half of those listed before 8am have also been scrapped.
Gold Coast Aiport is due to reopen this morning while Ballina Airport is open, but has been hit by flight cancellations.
Body located during search for man missing in flooded creek near Dorrigo
A body has been found during a search for a man who was swept into floodwaters about 25km northeast of Dorrigo, in northern NSW, on Friday.
Emergency services were called to Wild Cattle Creek Bridge after a ute being driven across was swept into floodwaters.
The driver - a 61-year-old man - was able to get out of the ute and climb onto a tree about 30m from the riverbank but emergency personnel were unable to reach the him before he was swept away.
At about 4.30pm on Saturday, the body of a man was found.
While he is yet to be formally identified, it is believed to be that of the missing
Defence says 13 injured after an army truck rolled while assisting residents in flood-ravaged northern NSW
The Australian Defence Force has now reported that 13 of its personnel were injured in the crash between two army trucks near Lismore this afternoon.
NSW Ambulance had earlier said 36 people were injured in the crash at Tregeagle.
A spokesperson for Defence said it was 13 injured but there were 36 of its personnel 'involved' in the crash.
It's been reported that three may be seriously injured.
It's not known how many are in hospital or how the accident happened.
Paramedics were called to reports of the accident in Tregeagle, 9km east of Lismore, at 5.05pm on Saturday.
NSW[10] Ambulance sent out 18 vehicles in response to the call for help.
The ADF gave a statement which confirmed a number of its members were hurt.
'On Saturday 8 March 2025, there was an incident involving two Australian Defence Force (ADF) vehicles that were providing community support to Lismore following ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. A number of ADF personnel have been injured,' a spokesperson said.
'The welfare of ADF members and their families is a priority and Defence's focus is on supporting those involved.
'Due to the developing nature of the incident, no further information will be available at this time, however Defence will provide further updates when possible.'
QueenslandBrisbane[11][12] References
- ^ PADRAIG COLLINS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Brisbane (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Queensland (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ NSW (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ NSW (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ website (www.nsw.gov.au)
- ^ website (www.woolworths.com.au)
- ^ website (www.energex.com.au)
- ^ Brisbane Times (www.couriermail.com.au)
- ^ NSW (ptp-au-cc.anlremote.com)
- ^ Queensland (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Brisbane (www.dailymail.co.uk)