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

Cyclone Alfred has struck eastern Australia, leading to school closures and halted public transport. It is expected to reach Queensland’s coast by Saturday, affecting nearly 4 million residents and potentially flooding 20,

Residents are stacking sandbags to protect low-lying properties ahead of a tropical cyclone that is forecast to become the first in 51 years to hit the Australian east coast near Brisbane, the nation’s third-most populous city.