Samoan seasonal workers in Queensland, Australia are bracing for Tropical Cyclone Alfred which is predicted to make landfall over where they are on Friday night.

The category two cyclone stalled on Wednesday night and delayed landfall. It's now forecast to reach Brisbane late Friday night and sit over the city until Saturday morning. It's travelling at 10 kilometres an hour.

Visesio Leiataua who is in Brisbane said they were preparing for Cyclone Alfred. They do not know what to expect, but they hope that it will pass soon.

"Not sure how strong the cyclone is because we've watched the Gold Coast not far from where we are, the cyclone was quite strong. We are keeping safe at where we are," he said. 

"We have been notified about everything and measures to take as we prepare for this. The only thing we are worried about is once it hits us, systems will be damaged, and communication might be lost but otherwise, we have been briefed about ways to respond to such events."

According to Visesio, all the seasonal workers have been told what to do, they have also stressed to us that we should stay indoors, and get supplies such as food, batteries, and that sort of thing. 

"We can care and look after ourselves. But at the moment, we are waiting to see whether Cyclone Alfred will hit us tonight or tomorrow. But it is slowly coming our way. Right now, there is no rain, just a little bit of wind, but there is still no sign showing TC Alfred has arrived here."

The company they are working at has ceased all operations until the system passes. However, they will still get paid for their hours. They are also providing them with updates as they await the cyclone. 

"We were supposed to have a meeting this week but it's cancelled due to this. Our leader is also keeping us updated through our communications channels. There are times when the connection is not good but we are still alert on what's going on."

A volunteer with NSW SES in Mullumbimby said winds had picked up with trees starting to fall in the area. She joined her local unit after the devastating impact of the 2022 floods. Volunteers are also reaching vulnerable members of the community who are unable to fill their own.

Public transport, schools, and airports in Queensland are closed, along with some supermarkets, many of which have been stripped bare. Heavy rain has fallen in parts of northern NSW and, with major flooding expected, 10,000 people have been told to prepare to leave. In Queensland, some 20,000 properties are at risk of flooding.