Survival was on the mind of many Brisbane residents as they found themselves in the path of one of Queensland's most significant weather events in decades.

Alfred is forecast to make landfall near Brisbane, the capital of Queensland and Australia’s third largest city.

Ex-tropical cyclone Alfred lingered off the south-east Australian coast on Saturday and forecasters said Brisbane is likely to miss the worst of the storm, a relief for millions of residents in the region who have been staying indoors.