Refuge centres have opened up across the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay and Noosa as Cyclone Alfred moves closer to the coast..
A refuge centre opened at the Nambour showgrounds at 8am today and another opened at the Noosa Leisure Centre in Noosaville at 9am.
Pets are allowed at the Noosa centre but they must be on leads or in a crate.
Another refuge centre will open at the Caloundra Indoor Sport Stadium from 8am tomorrow.
Sunshine Coast Council storm surge modelling shows almost 1600 properties could be affected in low-lying areas if a possible storm surge reaches half a metre.
If it gets to one metre 4600 properties will be impacted.
The City of Moreton Bay Council is also asking residents to spend today preparing for the cyclone.
Mayor Peter Flannery said a possible storm surge is a concern for homes and businesses in low-lying coastal areas, including mainland communities on Pumicestone Passage and canal estates at Bribie Island.
Councillor Flannery said if a storm surge reaches .8 of a metre more than 400 properties will have water over their floorboards.
A refuge centre will open at 65 King St in Caboolture from midday today.
Meanwhile, Moreton Council will stop sand bagging from midday today.
Councillor Flannery said about 260 tonnes of sand has been used so far and another 800 tonnes has been delivered today.
That’s 220,000 sandbags with another 40,000 being used today…a record for the area.
Latest cyclone advice:
Cyclone Alfred is moving west towards the southeast Queensland coast.
Alfred is a category 2 cyclone and is forecast to maintain this intensity as it approaches the coast on Thursday.
It is is expected to cross the coast early Friday morning, most likely between Maroochydore and Coolangatta.
It is currently 425 kilometres east of Brisbane and 390 kilometres east of the Gold Coast moving at 11 kilometres per hour.
Gales with damaging wind gusts to 120 kilometres per hour are expected to develop along the southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales coastal and island communities between Double Island Point and Grafton from later today and continue on Thursday.
Destructive winds gusts up to 155 kilometres per hour may develop about coastal and island locations near and to the south of the track from Thursday
afternoon as Alfred’s destructive core approaches and crosses the coast.
A dangerous storm tide may occur along the coast, particularly in areas near and south of the cyclone centre, if the time of landfall coincides with the high tide early Friday morning.
Heavy rain is forecast for southeast Queensland and northeastern New South from tomorrow.
Heavy to locally intense rain may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding near and to the south of the cyclone’s centre as it crosses the coast.
Waste services:
Noosa Council’s Eumundi Road waste and recycling centre will close from midday Thursday and remain shut on Friday.
Pomona and Cooroy waste transfer stations are closed until further notice.
All tips in the Sunshine Coast Council area will be closed tomorrow and Friday.
Waste facilities in Moreton are closed tomorrow and Friday.
Residential wheelie bins won’t be emptied on Thursday or Friday across Noosa and the Sunshine Coast.
We are also being asked to bring bins inside.
Meanwhile, the Noosa North Shore vehicle ferry will stop operating from six tonight.
Health services:
Sunshine Coast Health is looking to postpone non-urgent surgery, outpatient services and oral health appointments on Thursday and Friday.
Emergency departments and emergency surgery will continue as normal across the Health District which stretches from Caloundra to Gympie.
Telehealth will be used for non-urgent cases.
All high-risk patients and pregnant mothers that are near term will either be brought into hospital or provided accommodation nearby.
In bad news for kids, all schools are open for business today but the Premier says a decision will be made today about possible closures on Thursday and Friday.
The Sunshine Coast Airport is operating as normal at the moment but passengers are asked to keep in touch with airlines about potential changes.
The airport will provide updates on social media.
Meanwhile the State Government has given permission for local businesses to resupply 24 hours a day.
Supermarkets, warehouses, hardware and trade supplies and health services can now stock up around the clock.
Cyclone impacting sport:
This weekend’s Mooloolaba triathlon has been postponed.
Council withdrew the permit for Australia’s second biggest tri yesterday due to the cyclone.
It’s expected the event will be rescheduled soon.
The NRL has switched the Dolphins game against Souths from Brisbane to Sydney on Friday night.
The Round 17 match between the Phins and Rabbitohs will now become a Dolphins home fixture.
And the netball trial game between the Sunshine Coast Lightning and the Firebirds on the Gold Coast on Friday has been cancelled.
You can head to your local council’s website and click on the disaster page for all the latest cyclone related info.
