Thousands of residents in eastern Australia were ordered to evacuate as Tropical Cyclone Alfred's heavy rains and powerful winds blast two states ahead of it's expected landfall near Brisbane, the country's third-largest city.

Millions of residents along Australia’s eastern coast are bracing for the arrival of a very slow-moving storm, the strongest tropical cyclone to threaten the region in more than 50 years. Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall early Saturday with the strength of an Atlantic tropical storm.

Early wind, rain from the rare tropical cyclone has began lashing part of eastern Australia on Thursday. Schools have been closed, public transport stopped, Brisbane airport closed. Stay tuned with us