Cyclone Alfred intensifies to Category 2 ahead of rare landfall in Australia: Latest updates - Storm is expected to make landfall between Brisbane and Sunshine Coast and could be one of most destructi

Millions of Australians across Queensland and northern New South Wales are bracing for tropical Cyclone Alfred to make landfall in the next 48 hours.More than four million people, from Sandy Cape to Grafton,

Northern New South Wales will likely bear the brunt of the torrential rain and wild winds accompanying Tropical Cyclone Alfred, despite the system being expected to make landfall near Brisbane.

Alfred's intensity may fluctuate in the coming days, but it is expected to make landfall at category 2 strength late Thursday or early Friday morning. It will be the first time the south-east has been in the direct firing line of a tropical cyclone in several decades.

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.

In Brisbane, preparations are well underway for the arrival of tropical Cyclone Alfred. The category two system is expected to cross the coast near Brisbane late on Thursday or early Friday. Among those in the midst of preparations is Nadine Ramsey from the State Emergency Service in Brisbane and she says Queenslanders are also getting ready for what's ahead.

David Crisafulli has provided an update on Tropical Cyclone Alfred with the Premier calling on Queenslanders to continue to prepare for this "very rare event".

As tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall in Queensland later this week, councils in the state’s southeast have begun to reduce services including ferries and kerbside collection. The cyclone is currently approximately 560 kilometres off the east coast of the state,