Flood Watch Issued for Barkly, MacDonnell Ranges, and Central Inland Northern Territory
This alert is no longer in effect.
BOM issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this BoM weather warning directly from BOM's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a flood watch for parts of the Northern Territory and Queensland as a slow-moving low pressure system brings heavy rain and potential isolation.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Watch
- Affected area
- Central and Northern Australia
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- BOM
Flood notices turn on location and timing. Treat the named area as this record's scope; do not assume nearby counties, parishes, or waterways were included.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Central and Northern Australia.
Alert Details
The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a Flood Watch (IDD20590) for parts of the Eastern, Central, and Western Inland areas of the Northern Territory and Queensland. This alert serves as early advice for possible flooding within specified catchments due to a developing weather system.
Affected Areas
The following catchments and regions are included in the watch area:
- Barkly (specifically southern areas)
- Georgina River and Eyre Creek
- Finke River and Stephenson Creek
- MacDonnell Ranges
- Simpson Desert
The alert covers regions across the Northern Territory and Queensland, with a concurrent Flood Watch active in South Australia for the Finke River, Stephenson Creek, and Simpson Desert.
What You Should Do
Residents and travelers in the affected areas are advised to take the following precautions:
- Do not drive, walk, swim, or play in floodwater, as it is dangerous.
- Stay away from flooded drains, rivers, streams, and waterways.
- Obey all road closure signs and plan routes to avoid flooded roads.
- Check road conditions before attempting any travel, as some communities may become isolated.
- For emergency assistance, contact the SES at 132 500. In life-threatening situations, call 000 immediately.
Expected Conditions
A trough currently sits over central parts of the Northern Territory, with a slow-moving low pressure system developing over the southeast Barkly District. This system is expected to bring thunderstorms and widespread significant heavy rainfall across the watch area, with the risk of isolated heavier falls.
Because catchments are already wet, the accumulated rainfall is expected to be significant. This will likely result in river and creek level rises, localised flooding, and overland inundation. These conditions are expected to impact road access and may isolate certain communities.
Timeline
River level rises and flooding are expected to begin on Saturday and continue into early next week. The current alert was issued at 12:40 PM ACST on Friday, 20 February 2026. The Bureau of Meteorology expects to provide the next update by 12:30 PM ACST on Saturday, 21 February 2026.
Original source: BOM Official Notice ↗
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