The storm reached the Queensland coast on Saturday as a "tropical low" after 16 days as a cyclone, prompting preparations by millions of residents.

Australia's east coast has been pounded by rain, wind and surf for a week, with Brisbane recording its highest daily rainfall in half a century.

But while authorities have been warning residents to stay indoors as Cyclone Alfred approaches, die-hard surfers have been throwing caution to the increasing wind. "This is what we look forward to," said Jeff Weatherall as he waited for a jet ski to pick him up from Kirra beach and carry him into the big waves.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred's approach was coloured by slow, suspenseful movement. Here's how the weather event and emergency response unfolded.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Australia's Queensland state are without power after Alfred, a downgraded tropical cyclone, brought damaging winds and heavy rains, sparking flood warnings. Some 316,

At least 300,000 in blackout as Australian PM warns ‘worse to come’ - Flood warnings are still in place as heavy rainfall continued today