Tropical Cyclone Alfred live updates: Extreme weather event predicted to hit Friday or early Saturday morning

Essential Energy - the main energy operator for Northern NSW - says 10,000 homes and businesses are without power, as strong winds blow vegetation and trees into the electricity network.

An Essential Energy spokeswoman said homes could be left in the dark “for long periods of time” as Alfred will hamper restoration efforts.

She said 10,000 properties between Tweed Heads and Bulahdelah had lost power as of 4.30pm on Thursday.

“Essential Energy crews are working to restore (the network) as soon as it is safe to do so, with some locations unable to be accessed due to heavy rainfall flooding river crossings or water on the roads,” the spokeswoman said.

Damaging swells are wreaking havoc along the Gold Coast with residents taking to social media to share footage of wild scenes as Cyclone Alfred approaches.

Gold Coast residents were shocked to see a huge swell completely wash out a road at Currumbin beach.

The video, posted to TikTok, was shot on Wednesday by Ashton Marsh, at Elephant Rock next to Currumbin Beach Vikings Surf Life Saving Club at the southern end of the Gold Coast.

The huge swell engulfed the club’s carpark and washed over the Pacific Parade esplanade.

“Cyclone Alfred has trapped us and destroyed the road at Currumbin Beach,” Marsh wrote.

Those responding to the video were concerned as to why they were out at the beach in the first place, given the conditions.

Another video posted to X shows swimmers being washed away in a strom surge.

Meanwhile another resident over at Burleigh Heads posted a video of a choppy swell smashing the shoreline and whitewash rising quickly, hitting The Burleigh Pavillion beachfront restaurant and causing beachgoers to get off the sand.

“I’m starting to think Alfred is going to do more damage then expected,” the TikTok user posted.

In one video posted to TikTok a Gold Coast resident shows the view from her apartment at Southport at about 11.30am local time, showing gloomy skies, rain and strong winds.

“Gold Coast we are so f****d mate,” they wrote, adding they were on level 13 and could already feel the “windows buckling and shaking”.

“It’s double glazed thick but roaring sound.

They wrote they were already “scared” and “it hasn’t even hit land yet!”

“We will be hiding in the laundry hallways and fire escapes if the windows explode from flying debris when Alfred slams into the Goldie.”

“Sooooo nervous.”

Queensland Police have sent a reminder to residents to follow the advice of local authorities and emergency services in the days ahead.

Police have been out in force door-knocking to ensure people are ready, as Cyclone Alfred approaches, with officers deployed to at risk areas including the Moreton and Bay Island communities.

On Saturday, hundreds of officers also door knocked in low-lying at-risk areas across mainland Brisbane, including Victoria Point, Nudgee Beach and Sandgate.

Today, police are continuing to conduct proactive patrols.

Brisbane Disaster District Co-ordinator, Acting Assistant Commissioner Rhys Wildman reminded residents to stay up to date with information and Emergency alerts from +61 444 444 444 and to not block the number.

“It is imperative for your safety that you follow all safety warnings and receive up-to-date information from reputable sources regarding the location and risks of this severe weather event,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Wildman said.

Over in Ballina, in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, residents are worried about how their beloved tourist attraction the Big Prawn will fare in the storm to come.

Locals have taken to the ​Ballina Community Notice Board​ to share their concers, with one resident posting a picture of the iconic statue along with the caption: “First casualty of TC Alfred, the prawn has lost an antenna”.

“My 5-year-old son would be devastated! He always waves at it when we drive by,” one local wrote.

“Nooo! I love you Ballina big prawn. Hang in there,” another commented.

Another local called for of all Ballina council’s profits to be thrown at saving the iconic town feature.

“Nothing else matters,” they wrote, jokingly.

“Prayers for the prawn,” said another.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli sent a warning to adrenaline junkies heading into dangerous surf.

“We want people to stay safe and so does your family,” he said.

“So often during these events … you can experience a loss of life from people doing things that they otherwise would not normally do.

“But this is the time to be sensible, this is the time to do all you can to be with your loved ones and make plans and do the little things right.”

He called on residents “to be sensible in the way they conduct themselves”.

“The best way we can do that is explain the dangers and put forward the risk and continue to do that,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“We just want to see people stay in one piece, we want to see people be safe.”

Mr Crisafulli said there were already enough challenges to face – including strong winds, heavy rains, flooding and storm damage.

“Don’t go putting yourself in harm’s way in the process,” he said.

The Bureau of Meteorolgy has warned of dangerous storm tides, abnormally high tides and damaging surf.

The State Emergency Service has already been extremely busy with more than 1,300 calls for assistance in the past 24 hours.

Most calls so far have been from vulnerable people and those who need help sandbagging and preparing their homes.

Meanwhile, Energex is dealing with widespread power outages, with around 5,000 customers already without power on the Gold Coast and Redland.

Energy says 1,200 staff members have been deployed to respond to the outages and provide assistance as the storm impacts the region.

Earlier today, Premier David Crisafulli said councils had been very proactive, keeping sandbagging centres open to help residents prepare for the storm.

“This morning we have distributed an extra 250,000 sandbags to local governments to support the continued operation of those centres,” Crisafulli said.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues to move slowly west at 7km/h towards the southeast Queensland coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s latest update says Alfred is currently a category 2 storm and is expected to remain of similar intensity until the centre hits the coast and Islands.

The bureau predicts the centre of Alfred will cross the coast very early Saturday morning, most likely between Noosa and Coolangatta, but impacts of the storm, including damaging winds and huge swells, are already being felt, and heavy rains are expected.

The map indicates Alfred could become a category 1 by the time it passes over Moreton Island at 1am (Queensland time) on Saturday.

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The powerful storm packs a punch with sustained winds near the centre of 95km/h and gusts up to 130km/h.

Alfred is estimated to be 245km east of Brisbane and 230km east northeast of Gold Coast.

WARNING ZONE: A warning zone remains in place for Double Island Point in Queensland to Grafton in NSW, including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and Ballina but not Grafton.

As weather conditions worsen, Brisbane Airport is preparing to stop all flights from about 4pm local time.

The airport, located right next to Moreton Bay, is already feeling the impact of Cyclone Alfred as it nears. Further south, Gold Coast Airport has already closed.

“Travellers should speak directly to their airlines and not travel to the airport for cancelled flights,” an airport spokesperson said.

“Brisbane Airport will continue to keep its terminals open while passengers and essential airport workers need shelter, for emergency and aeromedical services, for Defence operations, and while it is safe to do so.”

The spokesperson said many airlines are offering their customers the opportunity to change their bookings.

A Qantas spokesperson said all Qantas and Jetstar flights out of Brisbane will be suspended from mid-afternoon Thursday, with international operations suspended until at least midday Saturday local time and domestic operations suspended until at least Sunday morning local time.

They said Qantas and Jetstar flights had already been suspended for the Gold Coast and Ballina.

At the moment, Qantas flights to and from Sunshine Coast (MCY) and Hervey Bay (HVB) continue to operate.

Relocating the South Sydney-Dolphins fixture outside the path of cyclone Alfred was the right thing to do, Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett says.

Bennett has backed the NRL’s decision to move the Friday fixture from Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium to CommBank Stadium in Parramatta instead of calling the match off entirely.

The NRL’s decision has been met with some resistance from the Dolphins camp, with Kodi Nikorima, Mark Nicholls and Kenny Bromwich opting against flying out with the team to Sydney on Wednesday evening.

The trio are concerned about the welfare of family members being left behind, given their homes are in the firing line of the cyclone.

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