Flood Watch Issued for Northern Queensland and Cape York Peninsula as Heavy Rain Continues
This alert is no longer in effect.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 catchments in Northern Queensland, warning that widespread flooding and road closures are likely to persist.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Watch
- Affected area
- Northern Queensland and Cape York Peninsula
- 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 Queensland and Cape York Peninsula.
Alert Details
A Flood Watch (IDQ20900) has been issued by the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). This alert provides early advice of possible flooding within specified catchments across Northern Queensland and the Cape York Peninsula.
Affected Areas
The following catchments are likely to be affected:
- Mulgrave and Russell Rivers
- Tully River
- Murray River
- Black River
- Ross and Bohle Rivers
- Haughton River
- Belyando and Suttor Rivers to Burdekin Falls Dam
- Burdekin River (to and downstream of Burdekin Falls Dam)
- Pioneer River
- Connors, Isaac and Styx Rivers and Plane Creek
- Nicholson River
- Leichhardt River
- Lower Flinders River (Flood Warning currently in effect)
- Cloncurry River
- Gilbert River
- Staaten River
- Mitchell River (including Magnificent Creek at Kowanyama)
- Georgina River and Eyre Creek
What You Should Do
Residents in the warning areas are advised to take the following safety 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 travel ahead to avoid flooded roads.
- Stay informed by checking the ABC and local media for updates.
- For emergency assistance, call the SES at 132 500. In life-threatening emergencies, call 000 immediately.
Expected Conditions
A broad trough system lingering across western and northern Queensland is maintaining deep tropical moisture, enhancing shower and storm activity. Moderate to locally heavy rainfall totals are possible, with the highest amounts expected near the coast and ranges. Because catchments are already wet to very wet from recent rain, river level rises and widespread flooding are likely. Rapid river rises and flash flooding may occur in areas receiving the heaviest rainfall. Road closures and community isolation have already been reported.
Timeline
The alert was issued at 1:37 pm AEST on Thursday, February 19, 2026. The weather system is expected to linger for several days, with rainfall focusing on Far North Queensland over the coming weekend. The next Flood Watch update is scheduled to be issued by 2:00 pm AEST on Friday, February 20, 2026.
Original source: BOM Official Notice ↗
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