Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continued to impact Australia’s states of Queensland and New South Wales on Monday with floods and heavy rainfalls. Meteorological authorities forecast the situation will gradually ease from today. Nearly 160,000 homes and businesses remained without power in southeast Queensland and northern NSW as of Monday afternoon. The Bureau of Meteorology said on Monday afternoon that heavy rainfall has eased in NSW, and severe weather warnings for some areas have been cancelled. However, there is a localized risk of severe thunderstorms producing heavy rainfall over northern NSW during the afternoon and evening. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that eligible workers and sole traders in 31 local government areas in Queensland and NSW will be eligible for support payments. More than 800 schools in the ex-cyclone-affected areas of NSW and Queensland remained closed on Monday. NSW education authorities expected most schools will be able to reopen on Tuesday. The storm made landfall over Australia’s east coast on Saturday evening and has weakened into a trough since crossing the coast. The system is still bringing heavy to locally intense rainfall, which will gradually easing today, said the BoM.