Severe storms have left more than 300,000 homes and businesses without electricity along Australia's east coast, authorities said Sunday. One driver was killed and a dozen soldiers were injured.

After several days at sea as a category two tropical cyclone, Alfred weakened to a tropical depression before making landfall on Saturday (08.03) evening.

Strong winds and heavy rain knocked down power lines and triggered flood warnings on rivers in a 400-kilometre area along southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales.

Electricity distribution companies said about 310,000 households in Queensland and another 16,000 in New South Wales were without power.

"Customers should prepare for several days without power," Essential Energy in Queensland warned.

"The biggest challenges to restoring electricity will be rising waters, landslide-ravaged road surfaces, fallen vegetation and landslides blocking access to affected areas," the official statement said.

About 14,600 people are under emergency warnings because of the storm in New South Wales, state emergency services said.

"In the past 24 hours, 17 incidents have been recorded involving drivers driving their vehicles into flooded roads. Not only is this dangerous for you and your families, but it also endangers the volunteers and rescue crews that have to get you out of there," said Deputy Emergency Management Commissioner Damien Johnson.

Dangerous weather

The body of a 61-year-old man was discovered on Saturday after his off-road pickup truck was swept off a bridge into a river in northern New South Wales.

Police say the man managed to get out of his vehicle and tried to hold on to a branch, but the current dragged him into the rough waters on Friday (07.03).

In a separate incident on Saturday(08.03), 13 soldiers were injured after two army trucks overturned while clearing roads in the flooded Lismore town area.

Twelve soldiers were still in hospital on Sunday, with two in a serious condition, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said.

"We wish a speedy recovery to all these young soldiers," he told a news conference.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned that dangerous weather conditions were continuing.

"The situation in Queensland and northern New South Wales remains very serious due to flash flooding and high winds. Heavy rainfall, strong wind gusts and high waves are expected along the coast in the coming days," he said.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings of flooding, hazardous weather and severe sea storms in parts of Queensland and New South Wales.

"The risk of flash and major river flooding continues, with severe weather set to persist into next week," Queensland authorities warned, although the storm is expected to weaken as it moves inland. |BGNES