Tropical Cyclone Alfred has passed – now downgraded to a tropical low. But do not be lured into a false sense of security. Grave dangers remain. Parts of southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales face heavy and prolonged rain this weekend.

The slow-moving tropical storm, named Alfred, is on track to bring dangerous winds and flooding along the coast of Queensland and New South Wales, including Brisbane.

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.

Major developers say the effects of ex-typical cyclone Alfred will exacerbate pent-up workforce shortages and productivity problems that mean every project in South East Queensland already costs 20 per cent more than it should.

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’s third-most populous city.

Significant damage and power outages are possible in the densely populated region of Queensland, where tropical cyclones impacts are not uncommon but direct landfalls are.

Residents in areas prone to flooding have been urged to evacuate by Australian authorities, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, rapper and actor Ice Cube is currently Down Under at a hotel "on the beach.