Flood Watch Issued for Sturt Creek, Tanami Desert, and Western Desert Regions
This alert is no longer in effect.
BOM issued it on April 3, 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 parts of the WA and NT interior, warning of possible river rises and community isolation due to recent heavy rainfall.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Watch
- Affected area
- Eastern Interior (WA/NT)
- Issued
- April 3, 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 Eastern Interior (WA/NT).
Alert Details
The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued Flood Watch Number 7 for the eastern parts of the Interior. This alert serves as early advice for possible flooding within specified catchments across Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Affected Areas
According to the latest update, the following catchments are likely to be affected:
- Sturt Creek District
- Western Desert
- Tanami Desert
Note: Flooding is no longer expected in the Warburton District and Sandy Desert catchments.
What You Should Do
Residents and travelers in the warning areas should take the following precautions:
- Stay Safe: Do not drive, walk, swim, or play in floodwater. Stay away from flooded drains, rivers, streams, and waterways.
- Travel Safety: Obey all road closure signs. Plan ahead to ensure you do not drive on flooded roads.
- Stay Informed: Monitor the ABC and local media for updates. The situation can change quickly.
- Emergency Contacts: For emergency assistance, call the SES at 132 500. In life-threatening emergencies, call 000 immediately. Local emergency advice can be found at www.emergency.wa.gov.au.
Expected Conditions
A trough of low pressure over the southern Northern Territory has generated widespread moderate to heavy rainfall across eastern parts of the Interior. While the trough has moved further east, isolated showers and thunderstorms remain possible over the next few days.
Because catchments in the Flood Watch area are already wet, they are likely to respond quickly to any additional rainfall. Expected impacts include:
- River and creek level rises.
- Prolonged overland flooding and ponding.
- Affected road access and the potential isolation of some communities and homesteads.
Timeline
This Flood Watch was issued at 12:02 pm AWST on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. The Bureau of Meteorology expects to issue the next update by 1:00 pm AWST on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
Original source: BOM Official Notice ↗
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