Flood Watch Issued for North-Eastern and Central South Australia as Heavy Rain Continues

Alert Details

The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a Flood Watch (IDS20374) for parts of north-eastern and central South Australia. This alert, issued at 12:58 pm ACDT on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, serves as early advice of possible flooding within specified catchments due to a slow-moving low pressure system.

Affected Areas

The following catchments and regions are included in this flood watch:

• Cooper Creek
• Danggali Rivers and Creeks
• Finke River and Stephenson Creek
• Flinders Ranges Rivers and Creeks
• Lake Eyre
• Lake Frome
• Lake Gairdner
• North West Lake Torrens
• Simpson Desert
• Warburton River

Impacts are already being felt across the region, with the east-west railway line closed to the north-west of Port Augusta and several bitumen and dirt outback roads currently impacted by flooding.

What You Should Do

Residents and travelers in the affected areas are advised to:

• Avoid driving, walking, swimming, or playing in floodwaters as it is dangerous.
• Stay away from flooded drains, rivers, streams, and waterways.
• Obey all road closure signs and check road conditions before attempting to travel.
• Plan ahead to avoid driving on flooded roads, as some communities are already facing isolation.
• For emergency assistance, contact the SES at 132 500. In life-threatening emergencies, call 000 immediately.

Expected Conditions

A slow-moving low pressure system over the southern Northern Territory is interacting with a trough to produce widespread moderate to heavy rainfall. Locally intense falls are possible, particularly in the North East Pastoral district. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to extend southwards late in the week and over the weekend, leading to significant accumulated rainfall totals. These conditions are likely to cause river and creek level rises, localised flooding, and overland inundation.

Timeline

The alert was issued on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, and is currently active. Further flooding is expected over the next few days. The Bureau of Meteorology expects to issue the next update by 1:00 PM ACDT on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, and notes that the watch area is likely to be extended southwards in the coming days.