Tracking Cyclone Alfred: Four key maps

Cyclone Alfred continues to bear down on the South East Queensland coast and is expected to make landfall late Friday evening.

The category 2 storm – which may be downgraded to a category 1 before it crosses the coast – is expected to bring heavy winds and rainfall as residents across the coast into northern NSW prepare for property damage, flooding and the loss of power.

These maps show the cyclone’s likely path, using data from the Bureau of Meteorology and the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre, and projected danger areas, a high-resolution satellite video time-lapse plus an infographic that explains how cyclones form.

This is the latest projection of Alfred’s path and the danger areas.

And the BoM’s latest map:

Here’s the path overlaid with satellite footage.

Here are the most up-to-date weather warnings.

This is a three-stage breakdown of how a cyclone forms.

We will continue to update this information through the course of the next few days as it comes to hand.