Flood Watch Issued for Most of Queensland as Widespread Heavy Rain Continues

Alert Details

The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a Flood Watch (IDQ20900) for most of Queensland. This alert serves as early advice for possible flooding within specified catchments across the state. The alert was issued at 12:29 pm AEST on Monday, March 9, 2026, as part of an ongoing weather event.

Affected Areas

The watch covers a vast geographic scope across Queensland, including:

• Central Queensland, Wide Bay, and Burnett regions.
• Key Catchments: Haughton River, Belyando and Suttor Rivers, Cape River, Burdekin River, Comet and Nogoa Rivers, Dawson and Don Rivers, Mackenzie and Fitzroy Rivers, Shoalwater and Water Park Creeks, Calliope River, Boyne River, Pine and Caboolture Rivers, Sunshine Coast Rivers and Creeks, Moonie River, Leichhardt River, Cloncurry River, Staaten River, and Mitchell River.
• Note: Flooding is no longer expected in the Lower Brisbane, Logan and Albert, Gold Coast, Macintyre, Weir, The Big Warrambool, and Wallam and Mungallala catchments.

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas are urged to take the following precautions:

• Safety First: Do not drive, walk, swim, or play in floodwater.
• Stay Informed: Monitor the latest rainfall and river level information via the Bureau of Meteorology website.
• Travel Planning: Be prepared for disruptions to transport routes as localized flooding may make roads impassable.

Expected Conditions

A widespread heavy rain event is currently impacting central Queensland and the Wide Bay and Burnett areas, with locally intense falls possible. Because catchments are already wet to saturated from recent rainfall, they are expected to respond quickly to additional precipitation. Widespread minor to moderate riverine flooding is developing, with isolated major flooding possible in areas of heaviest rainfall. Rapid river level rises are anticipated in the most affected zones.

Timeline

The heavy rain event is expected to continue through Monday before contracting offshore by Tuesday morning. Following this, only seasonal coastal showers are expected to remain. The current alert is effective through the morning of Tuesday, March 10, 2026.