Australia Weather News

As supermarket shelves sit bare across northern New South Wales ahead of the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, some hospitality businesses are delaying evacuation to supply last-minute provisions.

Bakers at Wirlitzer Bakery in Woodburn, on the bank of the Richmond River, started five hours early, to ensure their customers had enough food.

"We are doing bulk bread and bulk pies," owner Sandra Peters said.

"So people can come in early and grab their stock so they have enough for home."

During the 2022 floods, Woodburn was cut-off for five days after the swollen Richmond River inundated the town.

The bakery will close at 2pm this afternoon so staff can prepare for the brunt of the weather system.

"There is a fear in the community, you can feel all the nerves," Ms Peters said.

"There are a lot of people leaving town."

Ms Peters said she felt it was important to remain open as long as possible.

"We are here not just to sell a loaf of bread or a pie," she said.

"We tried to stay open to give people hope, and we hope to be one of the first back open to be there for the people."

Northern NSW and south-east Queensland have already been buffeted by torrential rain, gale force winds and large surf but the conditions are expected deteriorate further today as Alfred tracks towards the coast.

Rainfall totals of up to 400 millimetres are expected in the Northern Rivers and Tablelands and is expected to be accompanied by damaging winds of up to 150 kilometres per hour.

Some surfers have braved the massive swells that have battered the coast, but there are concerns for coastal erosion in low lying areas.

'Stay in doors'

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has issued a watch and act level warning for several parts of Northern NSW.

The region includes the area from the Queensland border down towards, but not including, Grafton and west to Mount Lindsay down to Grange Sate Forest.

Towns affected include Murwillumbah, Mullumbimby, Byron Bay, Kyogle, Lismore, Lennox Head, Ballina and Casino.

Residents in these areas are being advised to remain inside unless they have been directed to evacuate due to expected flooding.

The Bureau of Meterology (BOM) on Wednesday afternoon issued flood warnings for NSW's Northern Rivers.

According to the BOM,  major flooding is possible along the Bellinger River at Thora from Friday afternoon, with a potential rise of 5.8 metres.

Meanwhile, more than 1,500 homes from Coffs Harbour to the Queensland border lost power yesterday evening.

More than a hundred schools across the Northern Rives have closed, from Clarence Valley on the Queensland border to the Kyogle Shire.

"We request families do not send your children to school for the next three days.

"Our school staff will be onsite this morning in case the message is not received in time," a NSW Department of Education spokesperson said.

The SES has already fielded more than 1,500 calls outs for across the north of the state.

More than 2,000 volunteers have travelled north to help, including members from Ulladulla, Bourke and as far as Broken Hill.

Concern for rough sleepers

There are also serious concerns for rough sleepers living in the impact zone.

Byron Bay Mayor Sarah Ndiaye said she was worried there is inadequate accommodation to house the region's considerable homeless population.

"I'm very concerned about our local homeless and rough sleeper population and the people that live in cars," Cr Ndiaye said.

"We have a lot of people, the highest number in the country."

She said she had contacted NSW Homelessness Minister Rose Jackson to ask for more help.

Further south, in Coffs Harbour, homeless services like Pete's Place are opening their doors to provide a safe space for people sleeping rough.

Jennifer Fields is currently living in a tent with her two dogs in Coffs Harbour but she was also living in a tent in Bundaberg when another cyclone hit in 2013.

"It's not fun being in a cyclone when you've already been through a cyclone once in a tent," she said.

"It's not something I'd like to do again."