Tropical Cyclone Alfred has spent the night creeping towards Queensland’s coast and northern NSW. Despite authorities downgrading the cyclone to a tropical low early Saturday morning, locals have been warned not to be complacent with serious flooding risk remaining despite wind speeds slowing down.

As a sudden rain bomb smashed through Hervey Bay in the early hours of Sunday morning, many residents were left wondering what had happened – and why they didn’t have more notice of what was to come.

Rapid creek rises and dangerous flash-flooding is impacting parts of South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales.

Hundreds of thousands of residents in northern NSW are anxiously waiting for the full impact of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, as rescue teams continue their search for a man washed away in floodwaters.

Authorities turn their focus to the threat of flooding and flash floods as communities in south-east Queensland and northern NSW are warned the risks "can't be trivialised".