Major Flood Warning Issued for Daly River: Levels Expected to Peak Near 1998 Records
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The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a major flood warning for the Daly River, with water levels expected to peak near 16.30 meters, potentially matching historic 1998 flood levels.
What this BoM weather warning tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by BOM on March 19, 2026 and geographically references Daly River, Northern Territory. Its severity classification of "high" signals how the issuing agency weighs the risk of harm if no action is taken — "critical" and "high" tier alerts typically carry direct consumer actions, while "medium" and "low" tend toward informational guidance or monitoring advisories. The category it belongs to — Weather Warnings — determines the regulatory framework behind it, which shapes what remedies (refunds, replacements, recalls, evacuations) are available to affected individuals and who holds statutory responsibility for enforcement.
Most readers skim a notice like this, check whether they are personally affected, and move on. The more useful lens is to read it as a data point about the issuing system: how quickly BOM detected the hazard, how precise the geographic or product-identifier scope is, and whether similar notices have clustered in the same category or region in the last 90 days. Cluster patterns frequently precede a broader regulatory action — a single localized BoM weather warning is isolated; three of them within a quarter often indicate a supply-chain, infrastructure, or seasonal driver that will keep producing notices until something structural changes.
For decision-making, Areazine pairs each alert with the original agency URL, the full agency name, and a timestamp so you can verify the notice against the primary source before acting on it. Tags on this item (weather, alert, FloodWarning, DalyRiver) map to related alerts in the same area of risk — browsing them together gives a clearer picture than any single notice alone, because the shape of an ongoing issue only becomes visible across multiple sequential alerts.
Alert Details
A Major Flood Warning (IDD20545) has been issued by the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) for the Daly River. This is the 20th flood warning issued for this event, indicating significant and prolonged major flooding is currently occurring.
Affected Areas
The warning specifically covers the Daly River at the Daly River Police Station and the Lower Daly River region in the Northern Territory. Other areas currently under monitoring include the Katherine River (Minor Flood Warning) and parts of the Top End, Central, and Western Inland Areas (Flood Watch).
What You Should Do
Residents and travelers in the affected areas are urged 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 all waterways.
- Obey all road closure signs and plan routes to avoid flooded roads.
- Monitor the ABC and local media for updates.
- For emergency assistance, contact the SES at 132 500. In life-threatening emergencies, call 000 immediately.
Expected Conditions
Significant major flooding is occurring, with the Daly River at Daly River Police Station recorded at 16.19 meters and steady as of Friday morning. The river is forecast to peak near 16.30 meters, which is comparable to the historic 1998 flood level of 16.25 meters. Moderate rainfall is expected over the next few days, which may contribute to prolonged flooding conditions.
Latest river heights include:
- Daly River at Dorisvale Crossing: 23.80 m (Steady)
- Daly River at Mount Nancar: 19.51 m (Steady)
- Daly River at Beeboom Crossing: 18.06 m (Rising)
- Douglas River at Douglas Crossing: 5.48 m (Falling)
Timeline
The warning was issued at 11:32 am ACST on Friday, March 13, 2026. The river is expected to reach its peak from overnight Friday into Saturday. The Bureau of Meteorology will provide the next update by 12:00 PM ACST on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
Original source: BOM Official Notice ↗
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