Australia braced for a rare east coast tropical cyclone that is swirling towards Brisbane, its third-most populous city, with authorities urging residents in flood-prone suburbs to evacuate soon.

A rare tropical cyclone veered towards Australia's densely populated eastern coast on Wednesday, sparking emergency warnings, closing hundreds of schools, and threatening to flood thousands of homes.

Jimmy Johnson announces his retirement after 31 years at FOX Sports | The Herd

Alfred is forecast to make landfall near Brisbane, the capital of Queensland and Australia’s third largest city.

Cruise lines are adjusting operations as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches Queensland, Australia. Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Luminosa ship will be delayed returning to Brisbane, the cruise line told USA TODAY.

The NSW Premier says the tropical cyclone is acting like "a completely unwanted house guest" - arriving late and will stick around longer.

Katie Bunton shared a video of the scene of "apocalypse" at a supermarket in Australia as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches the country's east coast.

Four million people are in the firing line of Cyclone Alfred. It's expected to hit between the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast - a stretch of Australia known for its beautiful beaches and top surf – as well as Brisbane, Australia's third-biggest city.

The tropical storm, named Alfred, is on track to bring dangerous winds and flooding along the coast of southeastern Queensland, including the country’s third-largest city.

Billions of dollars of damage are expected to follow Tropical Cyclone Alfred, Treasurer Jim Chalmers says, as new research suggests one in five Australians are facing an "impossible choice" when it comes to insurance costs.