Cyclone Forces Australian Evacuations as Brisbane Braces for Hit
- Storm Alfred set to make landfall near major city early Friday
- Ports and schools close as two states prepare for flooding
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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.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred, a category 2 cyclone, was 425 kilometers (264 miles) east of Brisbane at around 6 a.m. local time Wednesday, producing sustained winds of 95 kilometers an hour with gusts of up to 130 kilometers an hour, according to the national weather bureau.