Tropical Cyclone Alfred has been upgraded to a category two storm. South-east Queensland is expected to be in the firing line of the weather system as residents are being warned to take necessary precautions.

Australia’s east coast is closely watching Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which has been churning and strengthening over the Coral Sea. Although the storm is expected to stay offshore for now, it’s still set to bring gusty winds, rising swells and hazardous surf conditions to Queensland’s heavily populated coastline in the coming days.

Brisbane is in the firing line of a cyclone for the first time in a generation, as the category 3 Alfred system, packing dangerous destructive winds and torrential rain, advances on southern Queensland’s population centres.

Tropical cyclone Alfred is moving away from the Queensland coast, but meterologists predict it will turn back towards Brisbane from Tuesday. It comes amid severe weather warnings for the state’s south, as well as K’gari, and northeast NSW, as high tides, damaging surf, and gale force winds are forecast.

But forecasters are warning it will move slowly south on Sunday and is now likely to move back towards south-east Queensland on Tuesday.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred is a Category 3 system this Friday morning, after becoming as strong as Category 4 on Thursday night.

A major capital city and coastal communities in two states have been warned to prepare homes for a tropical cyclone and days of wild weather.