Cyclone Alfred live updates: Storm already packing a punch as 100k without power across Gold Coast and NSW
IndependentMAR 5
Cyclone Alfred Forces Mass Evacuation Along Australia's East Coast
Above: A resident watches massive waves stirred by tropical cyclone Alfred break onto the North Wall breakwater located at the coastal town of Ballina, Australia on March 5, 2025. Image copyright: DAVID GRAY/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Cyclone Alfred is yet another example of a threat to Australia that's turbo-charged by accelerating climate change. There has to be a discussion of the root climate causes of these disasters at all levels of Australian society — from politicians to responders to civil society.
Narrative B
Predictably and sadly, climate alarmism has already entered the discourse around Cyclone Alfred. Not only is this a red herring that distracts from the meteorological aspects of the threat, but constant climate alarmist-driven policies in Australia have real economic consequences.