Brisbane is a subtropical city of more than 2.5 million people, situated on a flood-prone river. That’s why residents mustn’t get complacent after Cyclone Alfred.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Australia's prime minister cautioned that the fallout from a vicious tropical storm over the weekend was “far from over” as parts of two states remained inundated with perilous floodwaters on Monday, even as the initial threat from the deluge continued to recede.

The tropical cyclone is now forecast to make landfall early on Saturday, after its progress towards the coast dramatically slowed. Alfred was 240km east of Brisbane and moving west at just 7kmph on Thursday, with sustained winds near the centre gusting to 130kmph.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred's approach was coloured by slow, suspenseful movement. Here's how the weather event and emergency response unfolded.

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.

The maps show the predicted flood extent for the most at-risk areas of Brisbane, based on Bureau of Meteorology forecasts.

Several Australian airports on the southeastern coast have closed their terminals with airlines cancelling hundreds of flights as a Category 2 cyclone continues to barrel towards the country.The “extremely rare” Tropical Cyclone Alfred is causing severe travel disruption in the country as it draws near to the southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales coasts.

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.

Ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred has been downgraded to a tropical low, as it approaches Australia’s eastern coast. Although the speed at which Alfred is travelling has slowed, Brisbane locals have been sent a stark warning of what might be to come.

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.

Australia's east coast has been pounded by rain, wind and surf for a week, with Brisbane recording its highest daily rainfall in half a century.

The Albanese Government is activating financial support for communities directly affected by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred through the Disaster Recovery Allowance.