Cyclone Alfred don stop for di east coast of Australia on Thursday, as di authorities close airports, schools, and public transport. Pipo dey rush buy food and sandbag dia houses against di flood wey dem dey expect as di category-two storm go land.

Di storm fit touch ground by Saturday morning near Brisbane, wey be di third-biggest city for Australia, according to wetin di Bureau of Meteorology tok for dia latest update. Dis one dey different from di earlier projection wey bin talk say di storm go land by early Friday.

“Alfred dey behave now like one kain visitor wey nobody invite. E don tok say e go late, but e still wan stay longer,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns tok reporters. “Di wahala be say di time wey di storm go cause kasala for our community - heavy rain, strong wind, and big waves - go long pass wetin we for like.”

Storm warning dey cover more than 500 km (311 miles) for di northeast coast on Thursday. Big waves wey di cyclone cause don dey chop beach, and di authorities dey beg pipo wey dey live for flood-prone areas make dem comot quick-quick.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tok say di defence force go ready to help emergency services. Heavy rain from di storm don already soak some areas, according to Dean Narramore, wey be forecaster for Australia weather bureau. Narramore tok say di way di cyclone dey delay fit cause “longer and more heavy rain,” especially for northern New South Wales, wey fit lead to life-threatening flash flood.

One New South Wales resident, Sara Robertson, and her family don carry all dia important things comot from dia house for Murwillumbah town go stay for motel before di storm go land. “I dey happy say we get small time to breathe, but I still dey very tired today and plenty work still dey to do,” Robertson tok ABC News after she don move computers and electronics enter di motel.

More than 5,000 houses for southeast Queensland and thousands for northern New South Wales no get light as di authorities warn say more blackout go happen when di wind go strong pass.

Brisbane airport tok say dem go stop operations around 4 p.m. (0600 GMT) on Thursday, but dem go still keep dia terminals open for defence operations. Qantas Airways tok say dia international flights from Brisbane go dey suspended till Saturday noon, and domestic flights go start again by Sunday morning.

More than 1,000 schools for southeast Queensland and 250 for northern New South Wales no open on Thursday, and public transport for Brisbane dey suspended. Di authorities describe Alfred as “very rare event” for Brisbane, di capital of Queensland, as di last time cyclone hit di city na more than 50 years ago for 1974. Di city wey get about 2.7 million people don narrowly escape cyclones for 1990 and 2019.