SYDNEY: Thousands of residents in Australia's east were ordered to evacuate ahead of Tropical Cyclone Alfred's landfall on Saturday (Mar 8) as the storm brought heavy rains, huge waves and strong winds that cut off power, eroded beaches and closed airports.

Ice Cube has found himself caught in the chaos of Cyclone Alfred, with the rap icon stranded at his Gold Coast hotel as the storm barrels toward Australia’s southeastern coast.

Ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred has been downgraded to a tropical low, as it approaches Australia’s eastern coast. Although the speed at which Alfred is travelling has slowed, Brisbane locals have been sent a stark warning of what might be to come.

Schools are closed, public transport has stopped and desperate residents are getting around shortages of sandbags by buying sacks of potting mix as a region of eastern Australia is lashed by wind and rain from a rare approaching tropical cyclone.