Flood Watch Issued for Northern Queensland and Cape York Peninsula Catchments
This alert is no longer in effect.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 warns of likely widespread flooding and community isolation across Northern Queensland as a trough system brings heavy rain to already wet catchments.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Watch
- Affected area
- Northern Queensland
- 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.
Alert Details
The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued Flood Watch Number 10 (IDQ20900) for parts of Northern Queensland and the Cape York Peninsula. This alert provides early advice of possible flooding within specified catchments as a broad trough system continues to impact the region.
Affected Areas
The following catchments are likely to be affected by rising water levels and potential flooding:
- 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 (both to and downstream of Burdekin Falls Dam)
- 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)
What You Should Do
Authorities advise residents to take the following safety precautions:
- Do not drive, walk, swim, or play in floodwater. It is dangerous and potentially life-threatening.
- Stay away from flooded drains, rivers, streams, and other waterways.
- Obey all road closure signs and plan travel ahead to avoid flooded roads.
- Monitor the ABC and local media for updates as the situation can change quickly.
- For emergency assistance, contact the SES at 132 500.
- In life-threatening emergencies, call 000 immediately.
Expected Conditions
A broad trough system is expected to linger over northern Queensland for several days, maintaining deep tropical moisture and enhancing shower and storm activity. Moderate to locally heavy rainfall totals are possible, with the highest amounts likely near the coast and ranges. Because catchments are already wet to very wet from recent rainfall, river level rises and widespread flooding are likely to develop. Rapid river rises and flash flooding are possible in areas that receive the heaviest rainfall. Road closures and community isolation are already occurring in some areas, with additional impacts expected over the coming days.
Timeline
The Flood Watch was issued at 1:38 pm AEST on Wednesday, 18 February 2026. The Bureau of Meteorology will monitor the situation closely and issue specific Flood Warnings as required. The next update to this Flood Watch is scheduled to be issued by 2:00 pm AEST on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
Original source: BOM Official Notice ↗
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