Cyclone Alfred (2025) facts for kids
Cyclone Alfred at its secondary peak intensity on 28 February
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| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 20 February 2025 |
| Dissipated | 9 March 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 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 | 1+ |
| Injuries | 39+ |
| Missing | 4+ |
| Damage | Unknown |
| Areas affected | Willis Island, South East Queensland, New South Wales North Coast |
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Part of the 2024–25 Australian region cyclone season |
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Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred was a powerful, long-lived, and erratic tropical cyclone that brought severe effects to South East Queensland and New South Wales North Coast. As 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.
Highly anticipated to be one of the most significant weather events in recent Australian history, Cyclone Alfred prompted watches, warnings and evacuations in South East Queensland, and Northern New South Wales, an area which has rarely seen direct impacts from tropical cyclones. It however affected the coast as a weaker system, becoming a tropical low shortly before making landfall on 8 March; nevertheless, its rainfall brought severe flooding to the region.
At least one fatality has been reported due to the cyclone, while four others are reportedly unaccounted for. Several injuries have been reported as well, mostly due to a road collision involving the Australian Defence Force that occurred during the height of the storm.
Contents
Meteorological history
On 20 February, a tropical low was noted by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) in the Coral Sea. The disturbance, initially designated by the agency as Tropical Low 22U, was expected to develop into a tropical cyclone over the next several days. 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 Tropical Cyclone Alfred being assigned to it. With cyclones being named alphabetically, Anthony was originally the next name to be used starting with A, but the BOM decided to switch to Alfred to avoid any association or confusion with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Over the next couple of days, the storm continued to move to the east and was upgraded to a category 2 tropical cyclone on 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 three days as it meandered off the coast. At 23:30 AEST (13:30 UTC) on 7 March, Alfred made landfall on Moreton Island, with winds of 75 km/h (45 mph). At 06:45 AEST on 8 March, Alfred was downgraded to a tropical low before crossing the mainland.
The cyclone hit the part of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, which are not in the tropics, while generally such cyclones occur within the tropical zone. Climate scientists said such out-of-zone cyclones become more frequent due to climate change.
Preparations
28 February–3 March
An advice-level warning was issued for Fraser Coast Region Coastal localities including K'gari (Fraser Island).
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 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 in the area since Cyclone Nancy in 1990. The northeastern part of New South Wales (NSW) is also expected to be under a cyclone warning in preparation for the storm. In the lead up to the storm, three sandbagging stations were opened on the Gold Coast, with a further two opening soon after, due to high demand. Nine sandbagging stations were also opened in Noosa and a further five were opened on the Sunshine Coast. Large swell, and abnormally high tides are occurring along the central, and southern Queensland coast, with significant wave heights of up to 4.87 m recorded in the Wide Bay region, 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.
CityCat and ferry services were suspended on Monday evening to allow the vessels to be moved to safety.
4–5 March
At 4:55 am, 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, Cleveland, Capalaba, Victoria Point, Carindale, Thornlands, Robina, Surfers Paradise, Northern Rivers, Northern Tablelands, Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast, as well as a Cyclone Warning between Double Island Point, and Yamba. The warning for Brisbane is the first to be issued since 1990. 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.
Both the Australian WPGA Championship and Mooloolaba Triathlon were cancelled. The AFL postponed two matches between Brisbane Lions vs Geelong at The Gabba as well as Gold Coast vs Essendon at People First Stadium. The NRL also followed suit, moving the Dolphins vs South Sydney match from Suncorp Stadium to CommBank Stadium in Sydney. A Green Day concert scheduled for 5 March at the Gold Coast's Cbus Super Stadium was cancelled. The 145th Beenleigh Show was also cancelled, with the showgrounds instead hosting a sandbag station.
The Queensland University of Technology and University of the Sunshine Coast closed for the cyclone's duration from midnight and 10 p.m., respectively. Griffith University announced that it would close its campuses from midnight, with classes and other activities being moved online. Southern Cross University announced immediate closure of both Gold Coast and Lismore campuses, with the Lismore campus being used as an evacuation centre, with classes due to resume on 14 March.
On 5 March, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns announced the closure of 122 public schools in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, with private and Catholic schools announcing they would also close.
The Noosa Council opened the Noosa Leisure Centre as an evacuation centre on the same day. Six evacuation centres were opened in Tweed Heads and a further six in the greater Northern Rivers.
The Queensland Premier David Crisafulli announced that a 'Red Alert' was issued to come into effect from midday for all mariners, requiring vessels with permission only from the Brisbane Harbour Master to be on the water from Redcliffe to Coolangatta. He also announced that all schools in the affected areas would be closed on Thursday and Friday. Later in the afternoon he announced the closure of the Gold Coast Airport, which ceased operations at 4 p.m. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a 'period of emergency' had been enacted that the Australian Defence Force had been activated with immediate effect. Albanese also confirmed that 125,000 sandbags are to be delivered to the Queensland government, with an additional 80,000 being delivered by the Australian Defence Force alone. Additional deployment of heavy-lift helicopters from the fleet was also announced.
The cyclone was also a factor in deciding the date of the federal election, which was to be held by May. In the lead up to March 2025, there was increasing media speculation that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese might call for the federal election in early March, with the election to be held on 12 April On the eve of the cyclone landfall (7 March), Albanese announced that he had ruled out a 12 April election. This was to prevent the need for Albanese to leave the recovery zone for Canberra to call the election, and to also prevent the campaign from clashing with upcoming recovery efforts.
6 March
On 6 March, Cyclone Alfred’s approach to Brisbane slowed down, further delaying landfall predictions by 6 hours. Public schools, public transport, major roads, and airports began to shut down; however, emergency services still operate. The Brisbane Airport announced it would cease operations at 4 p.m.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicted that landfall could occur between Friday afternoon and the early hours of March 8.
At 9 p.m., the first 'Emergency Warning' level warning was issued for the cyclone, for the Redland City Island Communities.
7 March
Warnings were issued to Gold Coast residents to stay away from the area due to uncertainty over their stability. Landfall is now predicted to occur between 9 am and 10 am on Saturday. The Pacific Highway had also been closed at both Byron Bay and Chinderah. NSW Deputy Premier, Prue Car, announced that all Northern Rivers public, independent and Catholic schools would continue to be shut on Monday 10th.
Airservices Australia issued a warning for all travellers that there would be airport delays across the country due to its Brisbane radar being impacted by the cyclone, with midair radars across the East coast being at risk of having no signal. Albanese announced that 120 Australian Defence Force personnel had been deployed to Northern New South Wales to support the State Emergency Services.
At 15:50 AEST and 16:00 AEST, respectively, an 'Emergency Warning' level warning was issued for the Gold Coast and Redland City.
Impact
On 6 March, at about 15:00 AEST, it was reported that a jet skier had gone missing, with the jet ski recovered near Broadbeach, Queensland. Torrential downpours occurred in the region that day.
Gusts of over 100 km/h (62 mph) were recorded at the Gold Coast and Byron Bay between 12:00 and 08:00 AEST on 7 March. Large pine trees had fallen in Kirra due to strong winds. By 15:00 AEST, 80,000 properties across Queensland and New South Wales had lost power. The Northern Rivers began experiencing widespread power outages, with 43,000 homes left without power due to trees falling on power lines overnight. A man went missing and was later found dead after his car was swept away by floodwaters in Dorrigo, New South Wales. A 12-year-old girl was left missing in Redland Bay, Queensland. In Lismore, New South Wales, a collision involving two Australian Defence Force vehicles left 36 people injured, eight of them seriously, and left two others missing. In Gold Coast, a woman was injured and 20 more were evacuated after the cyclone detached the roof of an apartment building, while a couple sustained minor injuries when a tree crashed through the ceiling of their bedroom. In Brisbane, Urban Utilities had to release raw sewerage into the Brisbane River, due to a critical project being overwhelmed by storm water, causing them to issue a warning between Lucas Park and Colmslie Beach Reserve along the river.
See also
- List of storms named Alfred
- Tropical cyclones in 2025
- Weather of 2025
