Gold Coast residents are being warned to prepare for the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Kirrily, including heavy rainfall and flash-flooding.
The system is currently a tropical low in the Coral Sea and is expected to make landfall on Thursday night or Friday morning as a Category Three cyclone.
The Watch Zone takes in areas from Cairns to St Lawrence (not including Cairns), including Townsville, Mackay and the Whitsunday Islands.
It’s then expected to weaken into a tropical low and track south towards southeast Queensland.
The Gold Coast is forecast to be hit with over 110 mills over the long-weekend.
Sandbags stations will be open from Thursday morning in preparation.
Mayor Tom Tate has confirmed disaster preparations have been activated.
“We are now on stand-up response level three, which means all hands are needed on deck and we’re watching the Bureau of Meteorology very closely,” Mayor Tate says.
“Our sandbag stations will be open on Thursday lunchtime.”
The Mayor is urging residents to get ready for severe weather and have a disaster pack ready to go.
“We’ll be assuming that until it loses strength that that Category Three will head to us, and in preparedness, our management team will be ready should the cyclone hit our city,”
“Should this severe weather get closer to the Gold Coast, be aware that since Christmas we have had a backlog of debris so it won’t take long to have flash-flooding quicker than normal.
“So if you see that the storm is going to hit, please avoid going out. Do your shopping early.”
Sandbag Stations are located at:
- 196 Old Pacific Highway, Pimpama (next to City of Gold Coast Coomera Depot)
- 42-44 Boyd Street, Bilinga (use the service road, next to the City of Gold Coast Tugun Depot)
- 61 Hutchinson St, Burleigh Heads (Reedy Creek Waste and Recycling Centre)
