Tropical Cyclone Alfred, an unusually southern storm for Australia’s east coast, took a surprising turn toward land, putting Brisbane and nearby areas at risk. Though not the strongest cyclone on record,

Australia's east coast has been pounded by rain, wind and surf for a week, with Brisbane recording its highest daily rainfall in half a century.

The storm reached the Queensland coast on Saturday as a "tropical low" after 16 days as a cyclone, prompting preparations by millions of residents.

South East Queensland and northern NSW continue to experience rain and flooding in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Follow our ongoing coverage.

Significant damage and power outages are possible in the densely populated region of Queensland, where tropical cyclones impacts are not uncommon but direct landfalls are.

Although now classified as a tropical low, the effects of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred have been felt most severely in the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Hervey Bay, and the Northern Rivers. Insurers have already received nearly 3,000 claims, a number expected to rise as residents return to assess the damage.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is forecast to cross the coast between the Queensland state capital Brisbane and the tourist city of Gold Coast to the south late Thursday or early Friday.

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Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to cross the southeast Queensland coast late this Thursday as a Category 2 storm. The last tropical cyclone to make landfall in the region was ex-Tropical Cyclone Zoe in 1974, half a century ago.

Tropical cyclone Alfred is a reminder that powerful storms have the power to show up in some surprising places.