Daisies and Dandelion

These are springing up everywhere there's a grassy patch. I am fond of so-called weeds like these.

I'm concerned for my family and friends in Brisbane and South East Queensland. Cyclone Alfred is about to cross the coast, an unusual occurence for the south of Queensland and 50 years since the last one.

I have a good next door neighbour who is checking on my rental house; my son and his family all live within the target area too. Here's the latest official information for Brisbane:

HEAVY RAINFALL is developing over southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales. HEAVY to locally INTENSE RAINFALL which may lead to DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODING will occur near and south of the cyclone centre as Alfred approaches and crosses the coast. Due to the very slow moving nature of the cyclone, there is a very high risk of significant impacts due to widespread heavy rainfall over the coming days. Separate Severe Weather Warning and Flood Watches are current for southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales.

A DANGEROUS STORM TIDE is likely along the coastal foreshore for exposed areas between Cape Moreton and Yamba, including the Gold Coast and Byron Bay beaches, ahead of the coastal crossing time on the high tides. Tides are likely to rise significantly above the highest high tide mark with damaging waves and dangerous inundation of coastal low-lying areas.

ABNORMALLY HIGH TIDES are likely to continue causing MINOR FLOODING of coastal low lying areas between Double Island Point and Grafton, particularly during the time of high tides early Friday morning (tonight) and early Saturday morning (Friday night). DAMAGING SURF leading to significant beach erosion remains likely for the open beaches between Double Island Point and Grafton, and further south over the New South Wales coast. Separate Coastal Hazard and Hazardous Surf warnings are current for southeast Queensland and New South Wales coasts.

Gales with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 120 kilometres per hour are developing near the coast between Cape Moreton and Cape Byron. Gales with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 120 kilometres per hour are expected to develop along the remaining southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales coastal and island communities between Noosa and Ballina during Friday morning, possibly extending as far south as Grafton and as far north as Double Island Point. These DAMAGING WINDS are forecast to persist during Friday before easing during late Saturday morning.

DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS of up to 155 kilometres per hour may develop about coastal and island locations near, and to the south of, the cyclone centre, as Alfred's destructive core approaches the coast.