Ex-tropical cyclone Alfred lingered off the south-east Australian coast on Saturday and forecasters said Brisbane is likely to miss the worst of the storm, a relief for millions of residents in the region who have been staying indoors.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred was downgraded to a tropical low weather system Saturday as it closed in on Brisbane, Australia. Over 19,000 people have been evacuated, and one remains missing.

The former tropical cyclone lay about 65 kilometers off the coast of the Queensland capital, Brisbane, government forecasters said in a final update. Now without gale-force winds, the storm was slowly moving toward the coast and delivering intense rain before it was expected to cross over the mainland later in the day.