THE Bureau of Meteorology reports Tropical Cyclone Alfred, a category 2 system, is 325km east of Brisbane and 300km east of Gold Coast as at around 6am Thursday.

Alfred will continue its approach towards the south-east Queensland coast, with the far western edge already impacting the coast from about Coolangatta to Ballina.

Alfred is forecast to maintain category 2 intensity as it continues to approach the south-east Queensland coast.

The centre of Alfred is expected to cross the coast during Friday, most likely between Maroochydore and Coolangatta.

Gales with damaging wind gusts to 120kmh are developing near the coast from Coolangatta to Ballina.

Gales with damaging wind gusts to 120kmh are expected to develop along the remaining south-east Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales coastal and island communities between Double Island Point and Grafton during Thursday and will persist through Friday.

Destructive wind gusts of up to 155kmh may develop about coastal and island locations near, and to the south of, the cyclone centre, possibly as far south as Cape Byron, late Thursday or early Friday as Alfred’s destructive core approaches and crosses the coast.

Destructive wind gusts may extend to the further inland close to the cyclone centre during Friday.

A dangerous storm tide is likely along the coastal foreshore for exposed areas near and south of the cyclone centre, possibly as far south as Cape Byron, if the time of coastal crossing coincides with the high tide.

Tides are likely to rise significantly above the highest high tide mark with damaging waves and dangerous inundation of coastal low-lying areas.

Dangerously high tides may cause further coastal erosion and some inundation of low-lying areas near exposed beaches on the Gold Coast, including to the NSW/Qld border and the Tweed Coast.

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, Wednesday night into Thursday morning, Thursday night into Friday morning and Friday night into Saturday morning.

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 Warning are current for south-east Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales coasts.

Heavy rainfall may develop for south-east Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales from Thursday evening.

Heavy to locally intense rainfall which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding may occur near and south of the cyclone centre as Alfred approaches and crosses the coast.

Separate Severe Weather Warning and Flood Watches are current for south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales.

For the latest tropical cyclone warnings and the Tropical Cyclone 7 day forecast, visit www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/

If you require emergency assistance, call the NSW SES on 132 500 and if life-threatening, call 000 (Triple Zero). www.ses.nsw.gov.au

View and be alerted severe weather, flooding and more by downloading the NSW Incident Alerts App: https://apple.co/39Y5tW2

Official information sources

New South Wales

NSW State Emergency Service (SES) website: https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au

Hazards Near Me NSW smartphone app: Apple/Android App Store

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI): https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Queensland

Queensland Disaster Management website: https://www.disaster.qld.gov.au

Get Ready Queensland website: https://www.qld.gov.au/emergency/dealing-disasters/disaster-types/flood/flood-prepare/take-steps-to-get-ready

Local Government disaster dashboards: https://www.qld.gov.au/community/disasters-emergencies/disasters/resources-translations/local-government-disaster-dashboards

Department of Primary Industries: http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au

National Resources

Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warnings: http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/warnings/index.shtml