Tropical Cyclone Alfred is heading for Australia. Here's what you need to know 

People prepare for wild weather as meteorologists forecast Tropical Cyclone Alfred will hit Queensland later this week, with the state’s capital in its path

People watch the large waves at Snapper Rocks in the Gold Coast ahead of Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

For almost two weeks, Tropical Cyclone Alfred has ambled about the Coral Sea, off the northeast coast of Australia.

Early on Sunday morning the cyclone passed below the Tropic of Capricorn, way off-track for the typical path a cyclone might take to the north Queensland coast.