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Mass blackouts as tropical storm nears Australian coast
More than 300,000 properties are without power as a tropical storm edges closer to Australia’s east coast, lashing the region with heavy rain.
Storm Alfred has been downgraded from a cyclone to a tropical low, but local authorities have warned that the threat it poses is “not over”.
Violent winds have already downed trees and power lines, with roads flooded in low-lying areas as the storm approaches landfall. Alfred is forecast to hit the coast near Brisbane before moving further inward later on Saturday.
Tens of thousands of people have been told to evacuate from the storm’s path, while others have been urged to stay indoors.
Four million people across Queensland and northern New South Wales are in the firing line of the storm, with dozens of weather warnings in place across both areas.
The emergency services say they are working with energy companies, after some residents were told they could be without power for days.
Around 287,000 customers are experiencing outages in south east Queensland, according to energy provider Energex, while Essential Energy said more than 42,600 homes and businesses in New South Wales had experienced blackouts.
People in Brisbane, Queensland’s capital, went to bed on Friday bracing for strong winds and heavy rain.
They woke up on Saturday to learn that the cyclone had been downgraded and the city would escape the worst of the weather.
But the danger’s not over in other parts of southeastern Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said “the worst is yet to come”, and along the Gold Coast, which has been pummelled by bad weather the past few days, conditions are still pretty extreme.
There is driving rain and strong winds. There are power lines down, hundreds of trees have blown over in gardens, parks and along the main roads. There is lots of debris and emergency services have sectioned off areas most at risk.

The approaching storm has already damaged holiday apartments at Labrador on the Gold Coast. © EPA
“This emergency is not over,” said New South Wales state premier Chris Minns, adding that it is “crucially important” that the public does not “dismiss” the storm.
“It really doesn’t matter to us whether it’s been downgraded from a tropical cyclone to a weather event,” he said.
The state’s emergency service operations commander, Stuart Fisher, warned people not to be “complacent” and said authorities in the region expect flooding to continue over the next few days.
As the storm has edged closer to landfall, nearly 1,000 schools have closed, public transport has been suspended and airports are shut. Elective surgeries have also been cancelled.
Flights are not expected to resume until Sunday at the earliest.
The BBC has spoken to several people from Brisbane’s homeless community, who have taken refuge at Emmanuel City Mission, which has become a round-the-clock shelter.
At the Treasure Island Holiday Park in the Gold Coast, just north of Surfer’s Paradise, a gum tree had come down between two cabins, damaging a third. Nearby, a boat was half submerged in one of the canals a block away from the beach.
On the coast itself, many paths down to the beach are now unpassable. Instead, there’s a sudden drop to the ocean where the powerful waves have eaten away at the sand.
But the clean-up operation won’t happen for a few days – the wind is still powerful and there’s driving rain.
Residents are starting to venture out to look at the damage, but plenty are remaining indoors to keep themselves safe.
Trending
Kidnappers Took Loan With My Phone – Victim Recounts Ordeal
A woman has shared a disturbing account of her abduction in Abuja, detailing how kidnappers allegedly exploited her personal information during captivity.
According to her, she was kidnapped while going home in a bus and kept blindfolded for two days as her captors demanded a ransom of ₦5 million from her family and friends.
She further alleged that while she was still in captivity, the abductors accessed her phone and used it to download a loan application.
With her ATM card and identification documents in her possession at the time, they reportedly secured a loan of ₦148,000 without her knowledge.
The victim said she remained unaware of the transaction throughout her ordeal, as she was blindfolded and focused on pleading for her life.
She revealed that when she later found out and wrote to the loan app, they insisted she must pay off the loan.
“I was kidnapped in a bus in Abuja. They blindfolded my eyes for two days. Even after asking for ransom of 5 million from my family and friends, they took a loan. They downloaded a loan app on my phone, and I always carry my ATM card and my ID cards in my bag, so they used it to up the loan app and took a loan of 148 thousand Naira. I didn’t even know about the loan all the time I was there cause I was blindfolded and just begging for my life….” she partly said.
Trending
Man Ends His Marriage After Finding Photographs Of His Wife With Another Man While Browsing Google Maps
A husband was left shocked and reportedly had to end his marriage after discovering photos of his wife with another man while using Google Maps.
The man was using Google Maps to plan a route before setting off on a journey when he noticed an image of his wife sitting on a bench, stroking the hair of another man whose head rested in her lap.
Captured by a Google camera vehicle in Lima, the Peruvian capital, the stunned husband said the photograph grabbed his attention because the woman pictured seemed to be wearing identical clothing to pieces his wife owned.
Although the photo dated back to 2013, the furious husband challenged his wife with proof of her previous betrayal.

The pair, whose identities remain anonymous, subsequently divorced after the woman confessed to having an affair.
In a twist of fate, she was photographed with her lover on a bench near the city’s Puente de los Suspiros de Barranco (Bridge of Sighs of the Ravine).
The husband recently posted the photographs on Facebook where they sparked considerable reaction amongst users.
One social media commenter, San Pateste, said: “What a small world it is… It would have been enough if she said to her husband that she did not love him any more.”
Guillermo Sanchez added: “Out of 100 women, 90 per cent are not loyal, the rest are loyal and only have one eye (hahaha) or are immortal (hahaha).”
Trending
Explosion injures soldier, NSCDC personnel in Imo
An Improvised Explosive Device, IED, explosion injured a soldier and a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.
A counter-insurgency and security expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, made this disclosure on X.
Makama disclosed that the incident occurred at about 8:35am on March 18 during a joint operation by troops of 34 Artillery Brigade in the Orsu general area.
According to the source, the personnel were operating around a suspected hideout of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, ESN, when they stepped on a concealed pressure-activated IED.
It noted that the device detonated, leaving both operatives injured.
“They were immediately administered first aid and subsequently evacuated to a medical facility for further treatment.
“Operations are ongoing in the area to dismantle criminal hideouts and enhance safety,” the source said.
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