Tropical Cyclone Alfred weakened into a tropical low Saturday as it neared Brisbane, Australia, bringing heavy rain and flooding risks to the region, according to officials. Initially expected to make landfall as the first cyclone to strike southeast Queensland since 1974, Alfred's winds dropped to under 39 mph (63 kph) as it shifted inland.

Cyclone Alfred weakened into a tropical low Saturday as it neared the rain- and wind-lashed eastern coast of Australia where hundreds of thousands of properties were without power. The former tropical cyclone lay about 65 kilometers off the coast of the Queensland capital, Brisbane, government forecasters said in a final update.

Australia’s east coast is bracing for tidal surges, intense rainfall, strong winds and flooding as a cyclone is expected to veer toward the country’s third-biggest city.