Millions of Australians are bracing for a direct hit from a tropical cyclone heading toward the nation’s third-biggest city, with the storm already forcing evacuations and closing ports and schools throughout Queensland.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred, a category 2 cyclone, was 425 kilometers (264 miles) east of Brisbane at around 6 a.m. local time Wednesday, producing sustained winds of 95 kilometers an hour with gusts of up to 130 kilometers an hour, according to the national weather bureau.
It is forecast to maintain its intensity and cross the coast early Friday, s