Australians are bracing for Cyclone Alfred, as its first effects are felt. The slow-moving storm is expected to reach the coast of Southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales tonight or early tomorrow morning.

Four million people are in the firing line of Cyclone Alfred. It's expected to hit between the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast - a stretch of Australia known for its beautiful beaches and top surf – as well as Brisbane, Australia's third-biggest city.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred changes track towards the mainland, with damaging winds and heavy rainfall expected to be felt from tomorrow. Here's how Tuesday unfolded.

“If we accumulate those rainfall totals over that three-day period, it is highly likely that we will see isolated areas of 700mm or so. As you can imagine, this is likely to cause riverine flooding through south-east Queensland,” Oates said.

Alfred is forecast to make landfall near Brisbane, the capital of Queensland and Australia’s third largest city.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is nearing Australia's east coast. It could affect Queensland and New South Wales with strong winds, heavy rain, and flooding. The cyclone may make landfall between the Gold Coast and the Wide Bay region by late Friday or early Saturday.

Cyclone Alfred stalled off Australia's east coast on Thursday (March 6) but its presence could be felt as it brought heavy rain and high winds to northern New South Wales. Greenland: Why is it valuable?