Flood Watch Issued for Top End, Central, and Western Inland Areas of NT and WA
This alert is no longer in effect.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.
A tropical low is expected to bring widespread heavy rainfall across the Northern Territory and Western Australia, prompting flood watches for numerous river catchments.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Watch
- Affected area
- Northern Territory and Western 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 Territory and Western Australia.
Alert Details
The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued Flood Watch Number 15 for parts of the Top End, Central, and Western Inland areas. This alert serves as early advice for possible flooding across multiple catchments in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Several rivers within the watch area are already under specific flood warnings, ranging from minor to major severity.
Affected Areas
The following catchments are included in the flood watch:
- East Kimberley Rivers
- Upper Victoria River and Victoria River below Kalkarindji
- Fitzmaurice River and Moyle River
- Katherine River (Minor flood warning current)
- Daly River above Douglas River (Flood warning current)
- Lower Daly River (Major flood warning current)
- Waterhouse River (Moderate flood warning current)
- Roper River (Flood warning current)
- Sturt Creek District
- Western Desert, Central Desert, and Tanami Desert
What You Should Do
Residents and travelers are advised not to drive, walk, swim, or play in floodwaters as it is dangerous. Stay away from flooded drains, rivers, streams, and other waterways. Obey all road closure signs and plan travel ahead to avoid flooded routes. For emergency assistance, contact the SES at 132 500. In life-threatening situations, call 000 immediately. Monitor local media and the ABC for updates, and check road conditions before traveling as some communities may become isolated.
Expected Conditions
A tropical low situated over the Top End of the Northern Territory is forecast to drift slowly southwest over the coming days. This system is expected to deliver widespread and locally heavy rainfall. Because catchments are already wet from recent rain, the forecast precipitation may cause significant water level rises in rivers and creeks. Prolonged overland flooding and ponding are expected, which may make roads impassable and isolate some homesteads.
Timeline
The flood watch was issued at 12:17 pm ACST on Thursday, March 12, 2026. Heavy rainfall is expected to impact the eastern Kimberley and Sturt Creek District starting Friday, extending into Central and Western Inland areas over the weekend. The Bureau of Meteorology expects to issue the next update by 1:00 pm ACST on Friday, March 13, 2026.
Original source: BOM Official Notice ↗
Related Weather Warnings
All Weather Warnings →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this BoM weather warning.