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The organisation predicts Alfred is expected to cross the coast tonight or early tomorrow morning.
Roughly four million people along the 400km stretch between southeast Queensland and upper New South Wales are expected to see the worst of the storm.
A 12.4m wave was recorded on the Gold Coast south of Brisbane – the largest ever picked up at that station.
The Bureau of Meteorology updated its estimated impact time to 1.53am overnight.
The warning zone for the hardest-hit areas has remained consistent. It includes Double Island Point in Queensland to Grafton in New South Wales, including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and Ballina.
ABC reported 20,000 customers were without power as of 1.45am local time, of whom more than 17,500 were on the Gold Coast.
ABC also reported that the wind gusts have hit triple digits, with 111km/h winds being recorded at Cape Byron.
The NSW State Emergency Service has directed residents of various spots along the New South Wales coast to evacuate, including Bowraville, Gumma, Macksville, Lismore, Fingal Head, Billinudgel, Uki, Bungawalbin, Tumbulgum and parts of Coraki and Kyogle, as well as the North Shore of Port Macquarie.
In an update at 5am NZ time, the Bureau of Meteorology said the residents in the “warning area” should remain hyper-vigilant for heavy to locally intense rainfall which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding.
Destructive gales of up to 120km/h are expected to develop across Queensland as the storm begins to bear down, with warnings these might progress to 155km/h near the cyclone’s centre.
They said there is a very high risk of significant impacts due to widespread heavy rainfall and a dangerous storm tide for the coastal foreshore.
The abnormally high tides between Cape Moreton and Yamba are set to continue, and damaging waves are leading to beach erosion.
In a Thursday afternoon update, meteorologist Sarah Scully said the Category 2 system was sitting 245km to the east of Brisbane, with estimated wind gusts of up to 130km/h.
“We have already seen heavy rainfall totals of between 100 to 200mm in elevated parts of New South Wales,” she said.
Kiwis brace for damaging cyclone, water scarce
A New Zealand family among the millions of people on Australia’s East Coast bracing for the arrival of the tropical cyclone say they haven’t been able to buy water for days due to panic buying.
Kiwi expat Pania Reiri-Smith, who moved to Brisbane with her husband and four children just over two years ago, said she had been trying to buy water for several days without success.
“We were told on Sunday that there was going to be a cyclone so we nonchalantly started to get a few things in preparation.”
Reiri-Smith, a substitute teacher, said schools would close for the rest of the week from today and that her children were getting “a little bit panicky”.
“We’ve already gone and put everything away outside and barricaded it with heavy furniture ... We’ve done everything we can so now we’re just having to wait.”
News.com.au reported Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had deployed the Australian Defence Force, including troops and vehicles, to assist as the cyclone approaches the Queensland coastline.
“This is a serious weather event, with heavy rain, destructive winds and major flooding expected,” Albanese said.
“To everyone in the warning zone, please stay informed, follow advice from emergency services, and take the necessary precautions to keep yourself and your family safe.”
A Sikorsky S-61 had been sent to Coffs Harbour and a US 60 Black Hawk would divert to Bundaberg over the coming days, News.com.au reported.
Queensland police said 176 officers and recruits were deployed to the Gold Coast yesterday to monitor the evolving situation and determine whether additional personnel would be required.
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