Cyclone Alfred stalled off Australia's east coast on Thursday delaying landfall as officials shut airports, schools and public transport and residents stockpiled supplies and sandbagged homes against floodwaters expected when the category-two storm hits.

People on the projected path of Cyclone Alfred have been asked to "act now" and leave before the situation gets worse as an “extremely rare” Category 2 storm barrels towards Australia’s southeastern coast.

Residents are stacking sandbags to protect low-lying properties ahead of a tropical cyclone that is forecast to become the first in 51 years to hit the Australian east coast near Brisbane, the nation’