People paddle a canoe down a street in South Lismore, New
South Wales, on 10 March 2025 (EPA)
SYDNEY — Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continued to impact Australia's states
of Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) on Monday with floods and heavy
rainfalls, but meteorological authorities forecast the situation will gradually
ease from today.
Electricity in some of the affected areas was gradually
restored on Monday. The latest figures from local electricity distributors show
that nearly 160,000 homes and businesses remained without power in southeast
Queensland and northern NSW as of Monday afternoon, less than the peak number
of over 300,000 recorded on Sunday.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said on Monday afternoon
that heavy rainfall has eased in NSW, and severe weather warnings for some
areas have been cancelled. However, there is a localized risk of severe
thunderstorms producing heavy rainfall over northern NSW during the afternoon
and evening. Warnings will be issued if necessary.
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) said on Monday
afternoon that 3,400 dwellings, impacting about 7,900 people, are still under
emergency warnings in northern NSW. More than 3,200 SES members remain on the
ground.
Overnight rain and thunderstorms on Sunday brought
widespread falls of 200-400 mm across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Scenic
Rim, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported. Brisbane, the
capital city of Queensland, witnessed a rainfall of 275.2 mm in 24 hours to 9
am. local time on Monday, making it the city's wettest day since 1974.
The BoM said that heavy rainfall, which may lead to flash
flooding, continued across parts of southeast Queensland on Monday, including
Brisbane, Ipswich and the Sunshine Coast, Xinhua news agency reported.
Six-hourly rainfall totals between 60 and 100 mm are likely throughout Monday
with a 24-hourly total up to 150 mm expected. However, it forecasts the heavy
rainfall will ease during the late afternoon and evening.
More than 800 schools in the ex-cyclone-affected areas of
NSW and Queensland remained closed on Monday. NSW education authorities expected
most schools will be able to reopen on Tuesday.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced at a
press meeting on Monday that eligible workers and sole traders in 31 local
government areas in southeast Queensland and NSW who have lost income as a
direct result of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred will be eligible for support
payments. They will be able to access up to 13 weeks of income support via
online application opened from Tuesday, he said.
As of Monday afternoon, many parts of southeast Queensland
and northern NSW are still under warnings for severe thunderstorms, severe
weather and major floods.
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred made landfall over Australia's
east coast on Saturday evening and has weakened into a trough since crossing
the coast. The system is still bringing heavy to locally intense rainfall,
which will gradually ease today, said the BoM.
