Alfred is less than 200km from Brisbane now, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest update.

Still at category two, with sustained central winds of 95km/hr and gusts up to 130km/hr, the storm is 195km east of Brisbane and 180 east-north-east of the Gold Coast.

The “slowly moving” storm is expected to remain at category two when it makes landfall late this evening or early Saturday,

It’s expected to cross the coast “most likely” close to Moreton Bay, between Noosa and Coolangatta.

Heavy rain is falling over the south-east Queensland and north-east NSW coasts, which is expected to continue throughout the weekend.

The risk of tidal floods is expected to rise tonight and early tomorrow morning.

Gusts of up to 120km/hr have been recorded near the coast between Cape Moreton and Cape Byron, with their range expected to extend to between Noosa and Ballina today.

And destructive gusts of 155km/hr are likely to develop near the cyclone’s centre and south of it.