It will be the first time the south-east has been in the direct firing line of a tropical cyclone in several decades.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to cross the southeast Queensland coast late this Thursday as a Category 2 storm. The last tropical cyclone to make landfall in the region was ex-Tropical Cyclone Zoe in 1974, half a century ago.

Queensland's bracing for Cyclone Alfred to hit later this week. It's been upgraded to category two overnight, and is brewing off the Australian coast, where it's already causing heavy surf and high tides.

The Australian Navy rescued a Lithuanian rower caught in tropical cyclone Alfred during his solo venture crossing the Pacific Ocean. Aurimas Mockus, a 44-year-old adventurer, was 740km off the coast of Mackay in Central Queensland when he got caught in the path of the category one cyclone with winds gusting at 130kmph.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is forecast to inch closer to the Queensland coast from today bringing severe hazards including abnormally high tides and gale-force winds.

Residents are remaining alert with Tropical Cyclone Alfred currently tracking above the Coral Sea around 450 kilometres north-east of Brisbane.

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