Major Flood Warning Issued for Western River at Winton; Minor Flooding Forecast for Diamantina River

Alert Details

The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a Major Flood Warning for the Western River and a Minor Flood Warning for the Diamantina River. This alert (IDQ20865) was issued at 11:54 am AEST on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, and remains in effect until February 20, 2026.

Affected Areas

The warning covers several key locations in Queensland, including:

• Western River: Winton and Oondooroo.
• Diamantina River: Diamantina Lakes, Roseberth, and Birdsville.
• Infrastructure: Springvale Diamantina Lakes Road Causeway.

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected catchments are advised 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 waterways.
• Obey all road closure signs and plan travel to avoid flooded routes.
• Monitor the ABC and local media for further updates.
• For emergency assistance, contact the SES at 132 500. In life-threatening situations, call 000 immediately.

Expected Conditions

Heavy rainfall over the weekend in the eastern Western River catchment has caused rapid river level rises.

• Western River at Winton: Currently at 2.20 meters and rising with moderate flooding. It is forecast to reach the major flood level of 3.50 meters starting Wednesday.
• Diamantina River at Birdsville: Currently at 3.75 meters and steady. It is expected to peak near the minor flood level of 4.00 meters from Wednesday.
• Diamantina River at Diamantina Lakes: Currently at 3.56 meters and rising, which is above the minor flood level (2.00m) and the Springvale Diamantina Lakes Road Causeway (2.10m).
• Upstream at Oondooroo: River levels are currently at 4.97 meters and falling with minor flooding.

Showers and additional rainfall are possible over the next few days, which may lead to further rises.

Timeline

The alert was issued on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Major flooding is possible at Winton and minor flooding is possible at Birdsville beginning Wednesday, February 18. The Bureau of Meteorology expects to issue the next update by 12:00 PM AEST on Wednesday.