Australian homes lose power and people told to evacuate as cyclone approaches

Owners work to protect their cafe with sandbags and plastic sheets in the Brisbane suburb of Rosalie, Australia (Jono Searle/AAP Image via AP)

Tens of thousands of homes and businesses lost power and people were ordered to evacuate their flood-prone homes as part of the Australian east coast was lashed by wind and rain ahead of its first tropical cyclone in 51 years.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred was forecast to cross the coast of Queensland state north of Brisbane, Australia’s third-most populous city, early on Saturday, Bureau of Meteorology manager Matt Collopy said.