Major Flood Warning Issued for Upper Balonne River as Peaks Move Downstream
This alert is no longer in effect.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 major flood warning for the Upper Balonne River, with major flooding easing at Warkon and Surat while a peak approaches Warroo.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Warning
- Affected area
- Upper Balonne River, Queensland
- 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 Upper Balonne River, Queensland.
Alert Details
The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a Major Flood Warning (IDQ20831) for the Upper Balonne River. The alert, issued at 11:30 am AEST on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, indicates that while major flooding is currently easing in some upstream areas, significant water levels remain a threat downstream.
Affected Areas
The warning covers several locations along the Balonne River, including:
- Warkon and Surat: Major flooding is currently easing after recent peaks.
- Weribone: A major flood peak is currently occurring.
- Warroo: Minor flooding is occurring as the peak approaches.
- Downstream to Beardmore Dam: Impacted by moving floodwaters.
What You Should Do
Residents are advised to take the following safety precautions:
- Do not drive, walk, swim, or play in floodwater; it is dangerous and unpredictable.
- Stay away from flooded drains, rivers, streams, and other waterways.
- Obey all road closure signs and plan travel to avoid flooded routes.
- Monitor local media and the ABC for updates. The situation can change quickly.
- For emergency assistance, contact the SES at 132 500. In life-threatening situations, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
Expected Conditions
Major flooding continues to ease at Warkon, where the river was recorded at 9.52 meters and falling as of Wednesday morning. It is expected to fall below the major flood level (9.00 m) overnight Wednesday and may drop below the minor flood level (7.00 m) by Friday morning.
At Surat, the river is estimated to be above the major flood level (9.00 m) and falling after a peak of approximately 10.5 meters on Monday. Levels are expected to fall below the major flood threshold overnight Thursday into Friday.
Downstream at Warroo, the river is currently at 9.33 meters and rising. A minor peak of approximately 9.80 meters is expected around Thursday evening. At Weribone, the river was steady at 11.00 meters as of 10:00 am Wednesday. No significant rainfall is forecast for the catchment over the next several days.
Timeline
The current warning is effective immediately. The Bureau of Meteorology expects to issue the next update by 1:00 pm AEST on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
Original source: BOM Official Notice ↗
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