Flood Watch Issued for West Kimberley, De Grey River, and Sandy Desert Regions
This alert is no longer in effect.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 parts of Western Australia as a tropical low brings the threat of heavy rain and isolated communities.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Watch
- Affected area
- 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 Western Australia.
Alert Details
The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a Flood Watch (IDW39605) for multiple catchments in Western Australia. This alert serves as early advice for possible flooding due to a tropical low currently centered over the southwest Kimberley. The situation is being monitored closely, and further flood warnings will be issued as required.
Affected Areas
The following catchments and regions are included in the watch area:
- De Grey River
- West Kimberley Rivers
- Salt Lakes District Rivers
- Sandy Desert
Additionally, a minor flood warning is currently in effect for the Fitzroy River catchment.
What You Should Do
Residents and travelers in the affected regions are advised to take the following safety precautions:
- Do not drive, walk, swim, or play in floodwater, as it is extremely dangerous.
- Stay away from flooded drains, rivers, streams, and waterways.
- Obey all road closure signs and plan travel ahead to avoid flooded routes.
- Monitor the ABC and local media for updates as the situation can change quickly.
- For emergency assistance, contact the State Emergency Service (SES) at 132 500. In life-threatening situations, call 000 immediately.
Expected Conditions
A tropical low is moving west toward the Pilbara coast. While rain has eased in some areas, heavy rainfall remains possible from thunderstorms or convective bands forming around the low. Since Sunday, February 15, Broome and surrounding areas near the Roebuck plains have recorded up to 300 mm of rain. Because catchments are already wet from recent rainfall, further precipitation is expected to cause river rises and flooding. This may result in impassable roads and the isolation of some communities.
Timeline
The alert was issued at 11:52 am AWST on Thursday, February 19, 2026. The next Flood Watch update is scheduled to be issued by 12:00 PM AWST on Friday, February 20, 2026.
Original source: BOM Official Notice ↗
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