Campers urged to evacuate K’gari, Inskip and Cooloola as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches Queensland coast

Campers on K’gari, Inskip and Cooloola are being urged to evacuate as Tropical Cyclone Alfred intensifies offshore.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is advising all campers to leave the areas “while it is still safe to do so”.

Bookings for campsites in these areas have been suspended.

Campers should drive safely, avoid dunes and follow the instructions of QPWS and the emergency services, the advice said.

Severe weather warnings have been issued as Alfred creates dangerous coastal conditions from Townsville south across K’Gari Island to the Gold Coast.

Coastal erosion and worsening weather conditions are already affecting the area, with gale-force winds and heavy rain expected over the weekend.

Coastal communities from Central Queensland to the New South Wales border are being urged to prepare for potential flooding and hazardous surf conditions.

“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”, warned Deputy Commissioner for Queensland Police, Shane Chelepy.

“Residents and visitors on island communities are also asked to monitor the system and stay up to date with warnings, as there will be significant impacts to these coastal areas.”

The cyclone briefly intensified to a Category 4 system, but has since been downgraded to a Category 3.

It is currently located about 750km north-east of Mackay and is packing winds of 220km/h at its centre.

The storm is forecast to continue moving south over the Coral Sea at 9km/h, with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) predicting it will be downgraded to a Category 2 by Saturday.

Alfred is expected to move southwest towards the Queensland coast before turning southeast on Sunday, parallel to the state’s Capricornia coast and well away from land.

“There is still a range of possibilities with regards to its exact movement and just how close it will come to the coast, and this will depend on a number of factors, including how the cyclone interacts with other systems in our region”, said BOM-meteorologist Jonathan How.

Warnings of unusually high tides and damaging surf have also been issued.

These conditions will extend to the Sunshine and Gold Coasts over the weekend, with swells of up to three meters and coastal erosion.

“We have been warned of very high tides and dangerous surf over the weekend,” said Acting Gold Coast Mayor Donna Gates.

“It’s going to be really important to listen to the lifeguards.”

In preparation, local authorities are opening sandbagging stations in Burleigh, Bilinga and Pimpama.

“At the moment, the warning is that whilst Cyclone Alfred is still offshore, there is the potential for a change, so — get prepared”, said Gates.

Energy companies are also preparing for possible power outages.

“We ask everyone to be prepared for the worst-case scenario and have your storm kit ready”, Energex’s Renee Kath said.

“You can help by cleaning up your yard and removing, securing or stowing anything that could become a dangerous projectile in cyclonic winds, like trampolines, outdoor furniture or loose sheets of corrugated iron”, he said.

“This will reduce the risk of damage to your local power network and properties in your area, including your own.”