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.

Australia braced for a rare east coast tropical cyclone that is swirling towards Brisbane, its third-most populous city, with authorities urging residents in flood-prone suburbs to evacuate soon.

Millions of Australians are bracing for a direct hit from a tropical cyclone heading toward the nation’s third-biggest city, with the storm already forcing evacuations and closing ports and schools throughout Queensland.