Australia cyclone: 1 dead, thousands without power after ferocious storm

Hundreds of thousands of people in Australia were without power on Sunday after ex-tropical cyclone Alfred brought damaging winds and heavy rains, sparking flood warnings with one person confirmed dead.

Some 316,540 people were without power in Queensland's southeast. Gold Coast city was the worst-hit area, with more than 112,000 without power due to the storm, energy distributor Energex said in a statement.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Canberra that a man had died in floodwaters in northern New South Wales. He also warned people the "situation in Queensland and northern New South Wales remains very serious due to flash-flooding and heavy winds."

The ex-tropical cyclone reached the Queensland coast on Saturday as a "tropical low" after 16 days as a cyclone, prompting preparations by millions of residents. State capital Brisbane was spared the brunt of the storm's impact, which was also felt in southern neighbour New South Wales state.