NSW, Queensland floods live updates: Remnants of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continue as heavy rainfall batters Brisbane, northern NSW​on March 9, 2025 at 3:43 pm

Here’s where we are as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues to bring wind, rain and flooding to South East Queensland and northern NSW this morning.

• Brisbane continued to experience strong winds and flash flooding on Sunday after Alfred made landfall on Saturday evening; a shelter-in-place warning was issued for some Gold Coast residents late yesterday.
• Lismore residents began to return to their homes after evacuation orders were lifted, while emergency warnings were issued for residents near the Clarence River in Grafton after water levels more than doubled in 24 hours.

• The remnants of Alfred are expected to bring another day of heavy rain to northern NSW after moving westward through Queensland; more than 241,500 homes remained without electricity last night across South East Queensland, along with 12,500 in NSW.
• In Queensland, major flood warnings remain in place for the Bremer River and Warrill Creek, and the Logan Albert River basin. In NSW, major flood warnings remain for the Clarence River at Grafton, the Bellinger River and the Richmond River at Coraki and Bungawalbin.
• Across both states, hundreds of schools will stay closed today – head here for a full list of NSW schools, and here for Queensland. Some public transport services are set to resume across flood-affected areas.
• A 61-year-old man who died after being swept into floodwaters in northern NSW on Friday was identified as 61-year-old Tom Cook.
• Thirteen people who were injured in a crash involving two Australian Defence Force vehicles near Lismore are expected to make a full recovery. Two soldiers remained in a serious condition last night.

Stay with us as we follow these and other news events today.

Some public transport services are set to resume across northern NSW and South East Queensland today even as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues to bring major flood warnings to some areas.

In Brisbane, where public transport began operating again yesterday before drivers were stood down following flash flooding, some bus services will run on a reduced timetable. All bus services in the Gold Coast are still cancelled. Buses in Logan and Redlands will run according to a Saturday timetable.

In northern NSW, communities in Mid North Coast towns, including Coffs Harbour, Kempsey and Port Macquarie, will see the return of some services, while NSW TrainLink will recommence limited coach operations through to Grafton.

But in the Northern Rivers, areas such as Tweed, Grafton, Yamba, Kyogle, Ballina and Byron, more than 1000 school services have been cancelled, along with 109 regular routes.

Travellers in both states have been advised to continue to check the relevant transport apps.

Cyclones don’t seem to faze Jordy and Georgia White.

However, the couple were thrown when they were told Tropical Cyclone Alfred was set to hit Brisbane.

The duo thought they had seen the last of cyclones after relocating from far north Queensland, but just six weeks after moving into their new Bardon home in Brisbane’s west, the Whites received the sobering news Alfred was on its way.

Ms White on Sunday still couldn’t fathom that a cyclone had “followed them” and hit Queensland’s south-east for the first time in more than 50 years.

“It seems like a joke. It’s pretty unfortunate,” she said.

Neighbours ribbed them, saying the couple had brought Alfred with them.

However, the pair know cyclones are no laughing matter and endured their fair share of severe weather in Cairns when Cyclone Jasper hit in late December 2023.

The deadly category two system claimed one life and forced hundreds to evacuate across the far north.

“We weren’t worried about the actual cyclone and the wind (when Alfred hit on Saturday),” Ms White said.

“It’s the rain afterwards, because Cairns flooded really badly (after Jasper).”

Their fears were realised on Sunday when they woke up to a raging Ithaca Creek outside their home, cutting off the road.

“I slept through the whole thing (when Alfred crossed the coast early on Saturday) – I think I did that in Cairns as well (for Jasper),” Mr White said.

“But it was blowy again last night and the rain picked up and we started to get a bit concerned.”

They will turn to neighbours who teased them about their cyclone conjuring abilities for some advice as they plan their next steps.

“We have talked to our neighbours who have been here almost 30 years,” Ms White said.

“It’s not a nice feeling knowing a heap of water is about to come under your property.”

Many in the leafy Bardon suburb appeared unfazed in the wake of the devastating 2022 Brisbane floods.

A coffee shop next to the raging Ithaca River was packed with locals.

Another neighbour casually tied his trailer to the nearest post, which just happened to be a flood marker.

Kids stood on the Ithaca Creek bridge cheekily applauding cars as they decided against driving through the inundated road and turned around.

“There’s still people having coffee next door,” local Casey Alston said near the creek bridge.

“It was pretty bad in 2022 when I first moved here, Ithaca Creek went wild – I think people here are kind of used to it.”

AAP

Matthew Bass, a senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, told ABC Radio the Gold Coast and Brisbane have experienced a “rapid ramp-up in rainfall in the last hour”.

He warned people to stay away from any low-lying areas and to remain indoors.

“Basically from the CBD out towards Ipswich, and then right through Kenmore, Mount Cootha, and through the Samford Valley – some of the rainfall totals are getting to pretty phenomenal levels,” he said.

Among the highest was Alderley in northern Brisbane, with 473mm of rainfall since 9am on Sunday.

Logan residents on the Gold Coast have been urged to seek higher ground due to major flooding of the Albert River.

An emergency alert was just issued, saying it was too dangerous for residents to leave now. Those impacted include areas of Tamborine, Cedar Creek, Wolfdene, Bannockburn, Windaroo, Mt Warren Park, Beenleigh, and Eagleby.

Grafton residents remain on edge after the Bureau of Meteorology issued an urgent major flood warning at 12.45am AEDT.

It warned that moderate flooding was occurring at nearby Ulmarra, with Maclean under threat.

“The main flood peak along the Clarence River is now approaching Grafton, where major flooding is occurring,” it said.

Further rainfall is forecast for the coast during Monday and there remains a risk of renewed flooding if heavy rainfall redevelops.

This map shows the extent of flooding.

Senior forecaster Matthew Bass has told ABC Radio Brisbane that a severe thunderstorm that is moving through Brisbane has already dropped between 40 and 45mm of rain in the last hour.

“That will probably keep moving through the western and southwestern suburbs in the coming hours,” Bass, from the Bureau of Meteorology, said.

“We know that a lot of those inner city suburbs are quite flood-prone.”

The deluge caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred has resulted in huge rainfall totals across Brisbane, including 213mm in the Brisbane CBD since 9am on Sunday.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for South East Queensland.

It warns of intense rainfall with very dangerous thunderstorms for parts of the Gympie, Brisbane City, Moreton Bay and Ipswich Council Areas, starting around midnight Queensland time.

The heavy rain may cause flash flooding near the ranges between Gympie and Murgon, Boondall, Sandgate and Brighton.

Here’s where we are as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues to bring wind, rain and flooding to South East Queensland and northern NSW this morning.

• Brisbane continued to experience strong winds and flash flooding on Sunday after Alfred made landfall on Saturday evening; a shelter-in-place warning was issued for some Gold Coast residents late yesterday.
• Lismore residents began to return to their homes after evacuation orders were lifted, while emergency warnings were issued for residents near the Clarence River in Grafton after water levels more than doubled in 24 hours.

• The remnants of Alfred are expected to bring another day of heavy rain to northern NSW after moving westward through Queensland; more than 241,500 homes remained without electricity last night across South East Queensland, along with 12,500 in NSW.
• In Queensland, major flood warnings remain in place for the Bremer River and Warrill Creek, and the Logan Albert River basin. In NSW, major flood warnings remain for the Clarence River at Grafton, the Bellinger River and the Richmond River at Coraki and Bungawalbin.
• Across both states, hundreds of schools will stay closed today – head here for a full list of NSW schools, and here for Queensland. Some public transport services are set to resume across flood-affected areas.
• A 61-year-old man who died after being swept into floodwaters in northern NSW on Friday was identified as 61-year-old Tom Cook.
• Thirteen people who were injured in a crash involving two Australian Defence Force vehicles near Lismore are expected to make a full recovery. Two soldiers remained in a serious condition last night.

Stay with us as we follow these and other news events today.