Australia’s east coast is closely watching Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which has been churning and strengthening over the Coral Sea. Although the storm is expected to stay offshore for now, it’s still set to bring gusty winds, rising swells and hazardous surf conditions to Queensland’s heavily populated coastline in the coming days.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred has downgraded into a category three system and is tracking south through the Coral Sea.

Evacuation from a popular tourism destination in Australia's Queensland state began on Thursday as Tropical Cyclone Alfred has intensified into a category three system, public broadcaster ABC reported.

Satellite imagery can help determine the strength, size and cohesion of a storm. The stronger a storm becomes, the more likely an eye will form in the center. When the eye looks symmetrical, that often means the storm is not encountering anything to weaken it.

The cyclone is expected to keep offshore well into next week but communities along the coast from central Queensland south are preparing for the worst.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is a high probability of crossing one of the most highly populated stretches of the Queensland coast by early next week.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred has strengthened to a Category 3 storm and its path is becoming clearer — with Queensland residents warned to stay alert for updates. Alfred is slowly moving south through the Coral Sea and is forecast to continue to move generally south while slowly strengthening.

Whether it crosses the Queensland coast or curls away from the mainland, Tropical Cyclone Alfred will make its presence felt in the south-east.

Sky News Australia Meteorologist Alison Osborne has examined how Tropical Cyclone Alfred is currently tracking as it travels off the Queensland coast.