Alfred

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred developed from a tropical low in the Coral Sea on 20 February 2025, originating approximately 350 km southwest of Port Moresby before being classified as a named cyclone on 22 February. The storm was named Alfred rather than the originally planned Anthony, as Bureau of Meteorology policy avoids names matching prominent public figures — in this case, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Alfred tracked erratically over the following weeks, reaching a peak intensity of Category 4 on the Australian scale before weakening due to wind shear and undergoing a subtropical transition on 3 March. It subsequently re-intensified to Category 2 as it turned westward toward southeastern Queensland.

Alfred made landfall on Moreton Island at around 23:30 AEST on 7 March with winds of approximately 75 km/h, then weakened to a tropical low before crossing the mainland near Brisbane on 8 March. This marked the first tropical cyclone warning issued for Brisbane since Cyclone Nancy in 1990. Despite being less intense at landfall than forecast, the system produced heavy rainfall and severe flooding across South East Queensland and the New South Wales North Coast. At least one fatality was recorded, with four people reported missing, and several injuries occurred — many stemming from a road collision involving Australian Defence Force personnel south of Lismore. Total economic losses were estimated at approximately US$1.36 billion.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia