Yangon: Authorities of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) on Sunday warned residents in northern NSW to prepare for damaging winds, large surf and heavy rainfall with Tropical Cyclone Alfred expected to cross the coast later this week.
According to Namibia Press Agency, NSW State Emergency Service (SES) Assistant Commissioner Dean Storey said now was the time for residents to prepare. “The impacts of the cyclone may be felt from Tuesday with damaging winds, large powerful surf, coastal erosion, followed by intense and heavy rainfall from Wednesday onwards,” Storey said.
“If major flooding occurs, people may be asked to evacuate their homes. We are asking the community to take steps now to ensure that if you are asked to evacuate, you have a plan for yourselves, your families and your pets and know where you will go.”
An emergency kit should include identification documents, medicines, some water, a torch, mobile phone charger and battery radio, NSW SES said.
Meanwhile, residents in southeast Queensland state of Australia have been warned to prepare for possible damaging winds, high tides, heavy and locally intense rainfall and flash flooding. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said a “large part” of Queensland’s coast is expected to be impacted.
“(A) tropical cyclone warning is not in place at this stage, but it is expected that that will occur within the days ahead and again, I ask Queenslanders in that area to pay particular attention to that,” he told reporters. “The timing appears to be in the middle part of this week, where that system could cross the coast. What is a little less certain is where,” he said.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicted Cyclone Alfred will first weaken to a category 1, bringing with it heavy wind and rainfall to southeast Queensland, before strengthening to a category 2 as it drifts towards the coast mid-week.