Tropical Cyclone Alfred Lashes Australia's East Coast, Triggering Evacuations and Power Outages

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is impacting Australia's eastern coast, bringing heavy rain and record-breaking waves to a densely populated region. Evacuation orders have been issued in some areas, and schools are closed, with public transport suspended. The storm, located 250km east of Brisbane on Thursday afternoon, is moving slowly and is expected to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday. Power company Essential Energy reported that approximately 10,000 homes and businesses in northern New South Wales have lost power due to strong winds. The NSW State Emergency Service has issued evacuation orders due to potential flooding. More than four million people are in the storm's path along a 400km stretch of coastline. A 12.4-meter wave was recorded on the Gold Coast, the largest ever recorded by that monitoring station. Alfred is expected to make landfall near Brisbane.