Australia braced for a rare east coast tropical cyclone that is swirling towards Brisbane, its third-most populous city, with authorities urging residents in flood-prone suburbs to evacuate soon.

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.

A rare tropical cyclone veered towards Australia's densely populated eastern coast on Wednesday (Mar 5), sparking emergency warnings, closing hundreds of schools, and thr