A large swathe of Australia’s east coast is preparing for strong winds and life-threatening flooding as a tropical cyclone is forecast to make landfall around the nation’s third-largest city.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred has ambled about the Coral Sea, off the northeast coast of Australia.Early on Sunday morning the cyclone passed below the Tropic of Capricorn, way off-track for the typical path a cyclone might take to the north Queensland coast.

More than 700 mm of rain could inundate parts of southeast Queensland and northeast NSW later this week as Tropical Cycl

Australia’s east coast is bracing for tidal surges, intense rainfall, strong winds and flooding as a cyclone is expected to veer toward the country’s third-biggest city.