SYDNEY – A heavily populated stretch of Australia’s eastern coast battened down Tuesday for what could be the first tropical cyclone to pummel the region in 50 years.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred was swirling about 550 kilometers east of major city Brisbane, with models showing it veering towards the mainland later in the day.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Dean Narramore said the storm was likely to cross the coast late Thursday or early Friday, striking land between metropolitan Brisbane and tourist haven Sunshine Coast.
It would be the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in that part of Australia since 1974, Narramore told AFP.
“It’s not record breaking but it’s definitely a little bit more unusual,” he said.
Some three million people live along the 100-kilometer stretch linking Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, a region known for its balmy weather and golden beaches.
While cyclones are common in the warm tropical waters lapping Australia, it is rare for them to strike the heavily populated areas found further south.
The flood-prone northern rivers region of New South Wales, which lies south of Brisbane, would also feel the impact, officials said.