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Cyclone Alfred: Rare tropical storm to hit Australia's east coast

People are seen at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Three people take photos with their phones by a palm trees in front of high waves in the sea. EPA

People in Queensland are preparing for the first cyclone in 50 years to hit the east coast

A rare tropical cyclone is expected to hit Australia's east coast late Thursday or early Friday.

Cyclone Alfred, which is a category 2 cyclone, is first cyclone in over 50 years to cross the southeast coast.

Meteorologists warn of destructive winds which could cause damage to houses and buildings, and flash flooding.

Wind gusts and heavy rainfall are expected to impact a large warning zone spanning Queensland and New South Wales.

Many schools, airports and businesses are beginning to close in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, and across south-east Queensland.

More than 600 schools across Queensland have announced closures from Thursday.

Map graphic. On the left, a map of Australia shown on a blue background. On the right a closer view of the east coast of Australia, depicting the boudnaries between territories. New South Wales and Queensland are labelled in blue. The city of Brisbane is labelled in pink. Newsround

The cyclone is likely to make landfall between Brisbane and the Gold Coast and heavy rainfall is expected over south-east Queensland on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology which is responsible for weather forecasts, has also warned that there could be major flooding in low-lying areas.

On average four cyclones hit Australia each year but BBC weather presenter Chris Fawkes says "what makes Alfred exceptionally rare is just how far south the storm is".