Millions of Queenslanders are preparing and waiting for the first cyclone to cross the state’s southern coast in half a century.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred has been delayed in its landfall and is predicted to hit South East Queensland by Friday night or early Saturday morning as a Category 2 system.

BOM Senior Meteorologist Dean Narramore told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "Its approach and even its impact until as we get into Friday night into the early hours of Saturday morning, so delayed about 12 to 24 hours."

"We're going to see because of this slow down motion, we're going to see not only more rainfall, a longer period of rainfall, but also longer period of much more intense wave action hitting our beach and coastal areas," Mr Narramore continued.

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