Cyclone Alfred (2025)
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (March 2025) |
 Alfred at peak intensity on 28 February | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 20 February 2025 |
| Category 4 severe tropical cyclone | |
| 10-minute sustained (BOM) | |
| Highest winds | 165 km/h (105 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 951 hPa (mbar); 28.08 inHg |
| Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 215 km/h (130 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 943 hPa (mbar); 27.85 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | None |
| Damage | Unknown |
| Areas affected | Willis Island, South East Queensland, New South Wales North Coast |
Part of the 2024–25 Australian region cyclone season | |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred is a powerful, currently active tropical cyclone that is posing a threat to South East Queensland and New South Wales North Coast with a cyclone watch currently in effect between Sandy Cape and Grafton. The seventh named storm and sixth severe tropical cyclone of the 2024–25 Australian region cyclone season, Alfred originated from a tropical low in the Coral Sea on 20 February.
Meteorological history
[edit]
Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
Unknown
Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depressionOn 20 February, a tropical low was spotted by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) in the Coral Sea. The disturbance, initially designated by the agency as 22U, was noted to likely develop into a tropical cyclone over the next several days.[1] Two days later, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) – which unofficially monitors all tropical cyclone basins, including the Australian region – upgraded the system to a tropical storm on the Saffir–Simpson scale (SSHWS). Initially, the BOM did not immediately follow suit and kept it as a tropical low; however, around 16:20 AEST, BOM upgraded the system to a category 1, with the name Alfred being assigned to it. Over the next couple of days, the storm continued to gradually move to the east, and was upgraded to a category 2 tropical cyclone in the Australian scale at 16:00 AEST on 24 February. As Alfred then turned south, it also continued to intensify, attaining category 3 status on 26 February at 22:00 AEST. The next day, the BOM further upgraded Alfred to a category 4 cyclone as a small eye appeared on visible satellite imagery. Later that night, an eyewall replacement cycle (ERC) occurred, prompting Alfred to fluctuate between categories 3 and 4 on 1 March, before further weakening down to a category 1 the following day. It then fluctuated between category 1 and category 2 status for the next days, with the cyclone currently maintaining the latter status as of 4:00 AEST of 4 March.
Preparations and impact
[edit]28 February
[edit]An advice level warning was issued for Fraser Coast Region Coastal localities including K'gari (Fraser Island).[2]
3 March
[edit]Watches and warnings were issued in South East Queensland (SEQ) – including the state's capital and largest city, Brisbane – as Alfred posed a notable risk to the area, with all major forecast models are currently predicting an SEQ landfall between 6 and 8 March. A Cyclone Watch was issued between Sandy Cape and Grafton, which included Brisbane; this was the first warning hoisted for the city since a watch was briefly issued for Cyclone Oma in 2019, and, if the forecast verifies, it would be the first to come ashore since Cyclone Nancy in 1990.[3][4] The northeastern part of New South Wales (NSW) is also expected to be under a cyclone warning in preparation for the storm.[5] In the lead up to the storm, 3 sandbagging stations were opened on the Gold Coast, with a further 2 opening soon after, due to high demand.[6] 9 sandbagging stations were also opened in Noosa[7] and a further 5 were opened on the Sunshine Coast.[8] Large swell, and abnormally high tides are occurring along the central, and southern Queensland coast, with significant wave heights of up to 4.87m recorded in the Wide Bay region,[9] and significant erosion seen across the coast.
A Lithuanian solo-rower, Aurimas Mockus, rowing from San Diego to Brisbane was caught in the cyclone prompting a successful search and rescue by the Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Choules.[10][11]
CityCat and ferry services were suspended on Monday evening to allow the vessels to be moved to safety.[12]
4 March
[edit]At 4:55am, a Watch and Act level warning was issued for Byron Bay, Lismore, Grafton, Ballina, Tweed Heads, Gympie, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Beaudesert, Brisbane, Brisbane Airport, Caloundra, Chermside, Coolangatta, Coomera, Gold Coast Seaway, Ipswich, Maleny, Logan Central, Manly, Maroochydore, Mount Gravatt, Nambour, Nerang, Noosa Heads, Oxley, Redcliffe, Robina, Surfers Paradise, Northern Rivers, Northern Tablelands, Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast.[13] The Acting Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service, Shane Chelepy, announced that with the assistance of the National Emergency Management Agency that 724,000 sandbags had been made available in South East Queensland.[14]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Becerra Mellet, Gabrielle (20 February 2025). "Cyclone likely to form off Queensland coast, BOM says". ABC News. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "PREPARE NOW - Fraser Coast Region Coastal localities including K'gari". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ Saunders, Tom (25 February 2025). "New weather modelling predicts Cyclone Alfred's arrival". ABC News. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
- ^ Billings, Patrick; Couacaud, Tayla; Koo, Grace (2 March 2025). "Great southern landfall: Alfred to pack a punch as it makes history". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ Millie Roberts (3 March 2025). "'Unusual' warning to be issued for NSW ahead of Cyclone Alfred". ABC News. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "Dashboard". dashboard.goldcoast.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘? 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇". Facebook. Sandy Bolton, MP. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "Flooding and heavy rain on the way". Sunshine Coast Council. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "Coastal Hazard Warning for ABNORMALLY HIGH TIDES and DAMAGING SURF".
- ^ "Lithuanian rower Aurimas Mockus rescued by Australian navy after being caught in Tropical Cyclone Alfred". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "Video: Royal Australian Navy Rescues Solo Rower From Coral Sea Cyclone". The Maratime Executive. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ Ward, Sarah (3 March 2025). "Brisbane's CityCats and Ferries Have Been Suspended Until Further Notice Due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred". Concrete Playground. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ "Tropical Cyclone Watch for Byron Bay, Lismore, Grafton, Ballina, Tweed Heads, Gympie, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Beaudesert, Brisbane, Brisbane Airport, Caloundra, Chermside, Coolangatta, Coomera, Gold Coast Seaway, Ipswich, Maleny, Logan Central, Manly, Maroochydore, Mount Gravatt, Nambour, Nerang, Noosa Heads, Oxley, Redcliffe, Robina, Surfers Paradise, Northern Rivers, Northern Tablelands, Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ "Queensland Premier David Crisafulli gives an update on Tropical Cyclone Alfred". Youtube. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
External links
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Tropical cyclones of the 2024–25 Australian region cyclone season | ||
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