Major Flood Warning Issued for Nicholson and Albert Rivers in Queensland

Alert Details

The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a major flood warning (IDQ20876) for the Nicholson and Albert Rivers. This update, issued at 1:24 pm AEST on Monday, March 9, 2026, indicates that elevated river levels and flooding are continuing across the region following recent heavy rainfall.

Affected Areas

The warning specifically covers the Nicholson, Gregory, and Albert River catchments in Queensland. Key locations and monitoring points include:

• Burketown Airstrip and Burketown: Flooding is likely to continue as upstream flows from the Nicholson River arrive.
• Nicholson River: Levels remain elevated in lower parts of the catchment, including Escott Station.
• Gregory River: Monitoring continues at Riversleigh and Gregory Downs.
• Leichhardt River: A Flood Watch is also current for this catchment.

What You Should Do

Residents and travelers in the affected areas are urged to take the following 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 to avoid flooded roads.
• Monitor the ABC and local media for further updates.
• For emergency assistance, contact the SES at 132 500. In life-threatening emergencies, call 000 immediately.
• Visit www.disaster.qld.gov.au/warnings for local emergency management advice.

Expected Conditions

While river levels are slowly easing in some upstream parts of the catchment, they remain elevated in the lower Nicholson River. Further showers and possible thunderstorms are forecast over the coming days, which may lead to renewed river level rises along the lower Nicholson, Gregory, and Albert Rivers.

Latest river height observations as of Monday afternoon include:

• Nicholson River at Escott Station: 7.84 m (Steady)
• Burketown Tide: 3.99 m (Rising)
• Gregory River at Gregory Downs: 1.85 m (Steady)
• Gregory River at Riversleigh: 1.53 m (Steady)

Timeline

The alert was issued on Monday, March 9, 2026. The situation is being actively monitored, and the next formal warning update is scheduled to be issued by 3:00 PM AEST on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.