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Tropical Cyclone Alfred has passed over Moreton Island and was forecast to hit the Australian mainland on Saturday morning, prompting warnings to millions in Brisbane and the Gold Coast to remain in their homes.
More than 200,000 people in south-east Queensland lost power overnight – more than half of those on the Gold Coast – as destructive winds heralded Alfred’s passage through Moreton Bay.
The tropical cyclone reached the Moreton Bay islands in the early hours of Saturday, picking up speed but losing some intensity. It was downgraded from a category 2 tropical cyclone to a category 1 about 1am.
Alfred was expected to be further downgraded – to a low pressure weather system – after crossing on to the mainland. That crossing was forecast to be near Bribie Island, about 55km north of Brisbane.
Residents in the region experienced a wild night of strong winds and rain. They have been warned to stay indoors for much of Saturday, and that the “prolonged crossing” could mean that severe wind and rain remain a threat for an extended period.
Forecasters had warned that the most serious threat would come from rain after Alfred’s arrival. Some places could record 800mm multiple-day totals. River catchments from south-east Queensland to the Nambucca Valley in New South Wales were already full, after days of persistent rain that prompted some evacuation warnings.
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On Saturday morning, the Bureau of Meteorology said Alfred was “expected to weaken below tropical cyclone strength before crossing the mainland coast between Maroochydore and Bribie Island during the morning”.
“Once across the coast, a weakened Alfred will continue to move inland during today. Despite its weakening, heavy rainfall is likely to continue over south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales during the weekend.”
There are grave fears for the safety of a man whose vehicle was washed off a bridge by fast-moving flood waters near Dorrigo in northern New South Wales on Friday afternoon.
The NSW State Emergency Service said it had received more than 8,000 calls for help.
There were 40 evacuations orders in place in NSW.
Read more of Guardian Australia’s Tropical Cyclone Alfred coverage:
