Since yesterday, the residents of Australia have started collecting sandbags for the protection of objects located in low-lying areas, ahead of the arrival of the tropical cyclone "Freddy" off the eastern coastline of the country not far from Brisbane, the third most populous city in Australia, and the first in the last 51 years. It is expected that the tropical cyclone "Freddy" will cross the eastern coastline between Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, and the Gold Coast to the south, today or tomorrow, announced the director of the meteorological service, Matt Kallopi.
The cyclone "Freddy" is moving over the Pacific Ocean at a speed of 400 kilometers per hour to the west from Brisbane, with winds at a speed of 95 kilometers per hour and gusts up to 130 kilometers per hour. "Heavy rains and dangerous flooding are expected before the arrival of the cyclone on the mainland," Kallopi stated.
Meanwhile, the acting prime minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, announced that his government has provided the Queensland government with 250,000 sandbags, and the army has already delivered 80,000 sandbags to this region. "It is quite rare for a tropical cyclone to hit the Brisbane area, which is not classified as a tropical zone," he noted, adding: "Therefore, these preparations are extremely important."