Flood Watch Issued for Northern Australia Catchments Across NT, WA, and QLD
This alert is no longer in effect.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 multiple river catchments as tropical low 31U brings heavy rainfall and potential isolation to the Top End and East Kimberley.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Watch
- Affected area
- 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 Northern Australia.
Alert Details
The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a Flood Watch (IDD20595) for parts of the Bonaparte, North West Coastal, and Carpentaria Coastal River catchments. This alert serves as early advice for possible flooding within the specified regions due to the development of a tropical low.
Affected Areas
The watch covers an extensive list of catchments across the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and Queensland, including:
- Western Australia: East Kimberley Rivers.
- Northern Territory: Upper Victoria River, Victoria River below Kalkarindji, Fitzmaurice River, Moyle River, Katherine River, Daly River (above and below Douglas River), Finniss River, Walker River, Waterhouse River (where a flood warning is currently in effect), Roper River, Towns River, Limmen Bight River, Rosie River, McArthur River, Robinson River, and Calvert River.
- Queensland/Border Regions: Settlement Creek.
What You Should Do
Residents and travelers in the warning 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 check road conditions before traveling, as roads may become impassable and communities or homesteads may become isolated.
- Plan ahead to avoid driving on flooded roads.
- For emergency assistance, call the SES at 132 500. In life-threatening emergencies, call 000 immediately.
Expected Conditions
A weak tropical low, designated 31U, has developed in the Gulf of Carpentaria and is expected to move slowly westwards over the Top End. Heavy rainfall associated with 31U is most likely on the western side of the low. This rainfall will transition from coastal areas near the southeast Top End and Carpentaria Districts into parts of the Darwin, Adelaide River, Daly, and coastal Gregory Districts into the weekend. As catchments are already wet from recent rainfall, significant water level rises in rivers and creeks are expected, alongside prolonged overland flooding and ponding.
Timeline
The alert was issued at 11:46 am ACST on Thursday, March 5, 2026. The weather system is expected to impact the region through the weekend. The Bureau of Meteorology intends to issue the next update by 1:00 PM ACST on Friday, March 6, 2026.
Original source: BOM Official Notice ↗
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