Minor Flood Warning Issued for Paroo River at Willara Crossing in New South Wales

Alert Details

An Initial Minor Flood Warning (IDN36632) has been issued by the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology for the Paroo River in New South Wales. The alert was issued at 11:11 am AEDT on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, following recent rainfall across the Paroo catchment.

Affected Areas

The primary area of concern is the Paroo River (NSW) at Willara Crossing. Related river height observations were also noted at the Cuttaburra Channel at Turra, Caiwarro, and Hungerford. A minor flood warning is also currently active for the Paroo River in Queensland as flows move downstream.

What You Should Do

Residents and travelers in the affected region are advised to take the following precautions:

• Do not drive, walk, swim, or play in floodwater as it is dangerous.
• Stay away from flooded drains, rivers, streams, and other waterways.
• Obey all road closure signs and plan travel routes to avoid flooded roads.
• Monitor the ABC and local media for updates as conditions can change quickly.
• For emergency assistance, contact the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) at 132 500. In life-threatening situations, call 000 immediately.

Expected Conditions

Recent rainfall has caused river levels to rise across the catchment. While a minor flood peak was observed at Caiwarro on Monday, these flows are now moving downstream toward New South Wales.

At Willara Crossing, the river level was recorded at 0.45 meters and steady as of 10:30 am Wednesday. The river is forecast to exceed the minor flood level of 0.70 meters starting late Thursday.

Latest River Heights:

• Cuttaburra Channel at Turra: 0.82 m (Steady at 10:45 am Wed)
• Paroo River at Caiwarro: 1.38 m (Steady at 9:00 am Wed)
• Paroo River at Hungerford: 1.00 m (Steady at 6:00 am Wed)
• Paroo River at Willara Crossing: 0.45 m (Steady at 10:30 am Wed)

Timeline

The warning is effective immediately and is currently set to expire at 3:11 am UTC on February 21, 2026. Minor flooding is expected to begin at Willara Crossing from late Thursday, February 19. The Bureau of Meteorology intends to issue the next update by 11:00 am AEDT on Thursday, February 19, 2026.