Eastern Australia is grappling with severe flooding as the remnants of Cyclone Alfred bring torrential rains, causing power blackouts for over 200,000 properties and prompting urgent rescue operations.

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.