Cyclone Alfred stalls off Australia s east residents sandbag homes transport schools shut

SYDNEY – Cyclone Alfred stalled off Australias east coast on March 6, delaying landfall as officials shut airports, schools and public transport, while residents stockpiled supplies and sandbagged homes against flooding expected when the Category 2 storm hits.

The storm is now expected to make landfall by the morning of March 8 near Brisbane, Australia’s third-most populous city, the Bureau of Meteorology said in its latest update, compared with a prior projection of a landfall by early March 7.

But the storm’s destructive reach will stretch across the border regions of the states of Queensland and New South Wales, bringing heavy rain, flooding and damaging winds.

“Alfred is behaving at the moment like a completely unwanted house guest. It’s told us it’s going to be late but linger even longer,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told reporters.

“Unfortunately that means the window for destruction in our community – heavy rains, winds, powerful surf – is longer than we would have otherwise liked.”

Storm warnings on March 6 stretched for more than 500km across the north-east coast, as huge waves whipped up by the cyclone eroded beaches, and officials urged residents in flood-prone areas to evacuate soon.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the defence force would be ready to support emergency services.

Heavy rain from the weather system has already drenched some regions, said Mr Dean Narramore, a forecaster at Australias weather bureau.

Mr Narramore said the stalling could result in “a longer and prolonged period of heavy rainfall, particularly in northern New South Wales”, leading to life-threatening flash flooding.

New South Wales resident Sara Robertson and her family have moved all their valuables from their home in the rural