Tropical Cyclone Alfred is forecast to make landfall somewhere between the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast on Thursday.

A tropical cyclone weakened into a tropical low weather system on Saturday as it approached Brisbane, Australia’s third-most populous city, bringing flooding rain that was expected to lash the coastal region for days.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred has thrown plans into doubt for travellers, with Qantas and Virgin Australia both announcing this morning they will be suspending their operations in Brisbane from this afternoon.

The cyclone was upgraded to a category two system overnight and is expected to turn west “directly” towards the coast of Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast later on Tuesday, with it about 560km east of the capital as of that morning.

Residents are stacking sandbags to protect low-lying properties ahead of a tropical cyclone that is forecast to become the first in 51 years to hit the Australian east coast near Brisbane, the nation’

Damaging winds, heavy rainfall and life-threatening floods are expected after the storm made a sudden shift toward Queensland.

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.

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan discusses Tropical Cyclone Alfred and how the residents of Queensland and northern New South Wales are “anxious” about its arrival.

Cyclone Alfred stalled off Australia's east coast delaying landfall as officials shut airports, schools and public transport and residents stockpiled supplies and sandbagged homes against floodwaters expected when the category-two storm hits.