Major Flood Warning Issued for Upper Balonne River; Surat Braces for 10.5m Peak
This alert is no longer in effect.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 major flood warning for the Upper Balonne River, with major flooding occurring at Warkon and Surat as river levels approach a 10.5-meter peak.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Warning
- Affected area
- Upper Balonne River, Queensland
- 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 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. This is the tenth warning issued for this event, effective as of 12:48 pm AEST on Monday, March 16, 2026.
Affected Areas
The warning covers several locations along the Balonne River, including:
- Surat and Warkon (Major Flooding)
- Warroo (Potential Minor Flooding)
- Balonne River downstream of Surat to Beardmore Dam
- Balonne River to Surat
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are urged to prioritize safety with the following actions:
- Do not drive, walk, swim, or play in floodwater as it is dangerous.
- Stay away from flooded drains, rivers, streams, and waterways.
- Obey all road closure signs and plan travel to avoid flooded routes.
- Monitor the ABC and local media for 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
Major flooding is currently occurring at Warkon and Surat.
- Surat: River levels are estimated to be above the major flood level of 9.0 meters and rising slowly. The river is expected to peak near 10.50 meters during Monday afternoon.
- Warkon: The river was recorded at 10.47 meters at midday Monday and is currently falling, though it remains well above the major flood level of 9.00 meters.
- Warroo: The river is currently at 8.09 meters and steady. It may exceed the minor flood level of 9.00 meters overnight Monday into Tuesday as upstream flows arrive.
- Rainfall: No significant rainfall is forecast across the catchment for the next several days.
Timeline
The alert was issued at 12:48 pm AEST on Monday, March 16, 2026. Major flooding at Warkon is likely to persist through at least Wednesday. The Bureau of Meteorology expects to issue the next update by 1:00 pm AEST on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
Original source: BOM Official Notice ↗
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