Summary
Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred (22U) was a long-lived Coral Sea event that had a major impact over southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales including widespread coastal erosion, damaging winds causing widespread power outages and some structural damage, and widespread heavy rainfall and associated flooding.
Tropical low 22U formed northeast of Cooktown on 21 February and moved generally eastwards over the following days. Conditions were favourable for development and Tropical Cyclone Alfred was named at 10am AEST (0000 UTC, AEST=UTC+10) 23 February, while about 320 km northeast of Willis Island. Alfred turned to the south overnight of 24 February and continued to intensify.
While well offshore of the Queensland coast, Alfred was at its lifetime peak intensity of category 4 strength (90 knots, 165 km/hr 10-minute mean winds) from 4 am AEST 28 February (1800 UTC 27 February) to 10 pm AEST (1200 UTC) 28 February. From 1 March, conditions became unfavourable and Alfred began to weaken, reaching category 1 intensity by 10 am AEST (0000 UTC) 2 March, while still well east of Rockhampton and moving over Cato Island.
During 2 and 3 March, Alfred was steered to the southeast, intensified again to category 2, and began to interact with the amplifying sub-tropical jet. Sub-tropical transition occurred and Alfred was classified as a sub-tropical cyclone from 4 pm AEST (0600 UTC) 3 March. While Alfred was a sub-tropical cyclone its intensity ranged from 45 to 55 knots, (85 to 100 km/hr) 10-minute mean winds.
During 4 March Alfred turned abruptly to move westwards towards the Queensland coast. Steering influences were weak, and Alfred displayed slow and sometimes erratic motion as it gradually moved west towards the southeast Queensland coast. Changed environmental conditions during 5 March allowed for renewed tropical development. Alfred was reclassified as a tropical cyclone, category 1, from 10 pm AEST (1200 UTC) 5 March, and intensified to category 2 at 4 am AEST 6 March (1800 UTC 5 March).
Alfred was downgraded to category 1 at 10 am AEST (0000 UTC) 7 March, while about 160 km east of Brisbane. Later that night Alfred approached the Morton Bay Islands. The motion was slow north-westwards, and Alfred moved across Moreton Island around 1 am AEST 8 March (1500 UTC 7 March) before being downgraded to a low at 4 am AEST 8 March (1800 UTC 7 March), while near the northern tip of Moreton Island. The low then stalled over the water, just east of Bribie Island, for most of the day, and once again showed sub-tropical characteristics and was reclassified as a sub-tropical cyclone. As a sub-tropical system, Alfred crossed Bribie Island at 8 pm AEST (1000 UTC) 8 March, and moved west onto the mainland at 9pm AEST (1100 UTC) 8 March.
Alfred caused significant damage to southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales through damaging wind gusts, heavy rainfall with subsequent flooding impacts and severe coastal erosion of beaches.
Some of the wind gusts recorded over southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales across the event are listed in the table below.
| Date | Location | Wind Gust | Time (AEST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 March | Cape Byron AWS* | 120 km/h (65 knots)** | 5.09 am |
| Gold Coast Seaway | 107 km/h (58 knots)** | 9.46 pm | |
| Coolangatta | 100 km/h (54 knots)** | 1.43 am | |
| Gold Coast Airport | 100 km/h (54 knots) | 1.43 am | |
| Evans Head RAAF Bombing Range AWS | 100 km/h (54 knots) | 8.11 am | |
| Brisbane Airport | 93 km/h (50 knots) | 11.16 pm | |
| 8 March | Redcliffe | 104 km/h (56 knots) | 9.24 pm |
| Cape Moreton Lighthouse | 102 km/h (55 knots) | 11.46 pm | |
| 9 March | Cape Moreton Lighthouse | 109 km/h (59 knots) | 12.52 am |
| Toowoomba Airport | 98 km/h (53 knots) | 01.20 am |
*Not at Bureau standard measuring equipment height
**Highest daily wind gust record for March.
Heavy rainfall was recorded for a prolonged period over north-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland. Highest 7-day totals to 9am AEST 10 March were 1146 mm at Upper Springbrook (Qld) and 1048.4 mm at Lower Springbrook (Qld). 7-day totals exceeding 800 mm were reported at other Gold Coast sites and in New South Wales in the Northern Rivers district and along the Clarence River above Dorrigo and in Mullumbimby in Brunswick River.
Riverine flooding and flash flooding was recorded in north-eastern New South Wales and the Gold Coast initially and then extended further north. On Sunday 9 March riverine flooding or severe flash flooding occurred from as far north as Hervey Bay (Wide Bay) south to north-eastern New South Wales. Hervey Bay recorded 189.0 mm in 2 hours (4.50 to 6.50 am AEST 9 March). Many areas in the Sunshine Coast area were inundated, including Nambour which reported an annual highest daily rainfall record of 365 mm in the 24 hours to 9 am 10 March. Heavy rain commenced around the Brisbane region Sunday 9 March resulting in extensive riverine flooding or flash flooding. The official Brisbane gauge recorded an annual daily record of 275.2 mm for the current site. This is the highest daily rainfall Brisbane City has recorded, at either the current site or old site, since 26 January 1974 with Tropical Cyclone Wanda, when 314mm was recorded***. On Monday 10 March heavy rain became more isolated and extended to inland areas with the remnants of Alfred.
Widespread minor to major riverine flooding occurred in north-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland. In New South Wales, major riverine flooding occurred in the Richmond, Clarence and Bellinger Rivers while in Queensland, major riverine flooding occurred in the Lockyer, Laidley and Warrill Creeks, Bremer, Logan and Albert Rivers. Significant localised flash flooding also occurred in many locations.
| Location | Rainfall total (mm) |
|---|---|
| Upper Springbrook Alert | 1146.0 |
| Lower Springbrook Alert | 1048.4 |
| Dorrigo (NSW) | 894.0 |
| Mullumbimby (NSW) | 856.0 |
| Binna Burra | 719.0 |
| O'Reillys | 714.0 |
| Tweed Heads Golf Club | 670.6 |
| Mount Tamborine | 658.6 |
| Location | Rainfall total (mm) | Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meldrum (Clarence R., NSW) | 235.0 | 6 March | |
| Dorrigo (Bielsdown Creek, NSW) | 224.0 | 6 March | |
| Meldrum (Clarence R., NSW) | 228.0 | 7 March | |
| Upper Springbrook Alert | 280.0 | 8 March | |
| Dorrigo No 2&3 (NSW) | 264.5 | 8 March | |
| K'gari Eurong | 427.3 | 9 March | Annual daily record. |
| Mt Glorious Alert | 322.0 | 9 March | Daily record for March. |
| Upper Springbrook Alert | 276.0 | 9 March | |
| Hervey Bay | 261.4 | 9 March | Annual daily record. |
| Diamond Valley (Maroochy R.) | 433.0 | 10 March | |
| Nambour | 345.0 | 10 March | |
| Brisbane | 275.2 | 10 March | Annual daily record for site 40913. Highest since 314mm 26 Jan. 1974. |
| Bilambil Heights (NSW) | 274.0 | 10 March | |
| Archerfield | 272.6 | 10 March | Highest March daily rainfall. |
| Eagle Farm | 244.0 | 10 March | Highest March daily rainfall. |
| Amberley | 162.4 | 10 March | Highest March daily rainfall. |
| Gympie Alert | 147.0 | 11 March |
*** Observations for "Brisbane City" are taken from the current site Brisbane (40913), which opened December 1999. Rainfall is compared across the current and former site Brisbane Regional Office (40214) which ran from 1841 to 1994 with complete daily rainfall data from 1869.
More than 500 000 customers were without power over southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales with many remaining without power for multiple days. Power outages were generally attributed to the windy conditions, including trees or tree branches falling onto power lines.
The slow passage of Alfred southwards parallel to the Queensland coast produced large easterly swell that impacted the coastline of southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales causing significant coastal erosion. It is estimated that millions of cubic metres of sand were scoured from beaches leaving escarpments up to 6 metres high in some dunes during the prolonged event. Sites recorded significant wave heights of between 3 and 5 m along the Sunshine Coast. Further south from Brisbane to the northeastern New South Wales coast, significant wave heights of 5-8 m were observed. Large maximum wave heights were recorded offshore at Tweed Heads, Brisbane, and Coffs Harbour.
| Location | Significant wave height | Maximum wave height |
|---|---|---|
| Tweed Heads Offshore | 7.9 m, 0200 AEST 7 March | 13.91 m |
| Tweed Heads | 5.76 m, 0730 AEST 6 March | 10.05 m |
| Coffs Harbour | 6.8 m, 1300 AEDT 5 March | 11.77 m |
Tropical Cyclone Alfred was the seventh tropical cyclone in the Australian region during the 2024/25 season.
For more information see the TC Alfred Report (doc).
