A singer in Australia when a cyclone hit said it sounded like "three of four jet airliners roaring over the roof". David Harrop from Warwickshire, who was in Brisbane, Queensland, for work when the storm landed on Saturday night, said it had been frightening to experience and caused "severe damage" and brought serious flooding.

Cyclones typically form in tropical northern Australia, but Alfred is hitting the cooler centre of the eastern coast. The last cyclone to impact Brisbane was Cyclone Zoe in 1974, which caused severe flooding.

One man died in floodwaters, the authorities said, and over 330,000 customers were without power in South East Queensland.