Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall late on Thursday or early on Friday. It could bring intense rainfall and life-threatening flash-flooding to the southeast of Queensland state and the northeast of New South Wales state, the Bureau of Meteorology said in its latest update.

A cyclone bearing down on the east coast of Australia has scrapped a golf event and threatens to disrupt the launch of the Australian Football League season. Golf officials called off the Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned WPGA Championship event on the Gold Coast amid forecasts for extreme wind and flooding.