Cyclone Alfred stalled off Australia's east coast on Thursday delaying landfall as officials shut airports, schools and public transport and residents stockpiled supplies and sandbagged homes against floodwaters expected when the category-two storm hits.

Residents are stacking sandbags to protect low-lying properties ahead of a tropical cyclone that is forecast to become the first in 51 years to hit the Australian east coast near Brisbane, the nation’

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.