Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Heavy Rainfall Issued for Barkly, Lasseter, Simpson and Tanami Districts

Alert Details

The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for heavy rainfall. This top-priority alert is currently in effect for people in parts of the Simpson, Lasseter, Tanami, and Barkly districts.

Affected Areas

The warning covers specific regions within the Simpson, Lasseter, Tanami, and Barkly forecast districts. Locations that may be impacted by these conditions include Yuendumu, Ti Tree, Papunya, Nyirripi, and the southwest Tanami District near the Western Australia border.

What You Should Do

The Northern Territory Emergency Service (NTES) advises residents in the warning area to take the following precautions:

• Slow down and turn your headlights on if driving.
• Create your own sandbags to protect doorways using pillowcases or shopping bags filled with sand.
• Secure loose outside objects and ensure pets and animals are safe.
• Avoid remaining in the open when storms threaten.
• If it is raining heavily and you cannot see, pull over and park with your hazard lights on until the rain clears.
• Avoid driving into water of unknown depth and current.
• For emergency help in floods or storms, contact the NTES on 132 500.

Expected Conditions

A trough combined with a humid airmass is producing slow-moving thunderstorms across the region. These severe thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours.

Timeline

The alert was issued at 4:26 pm Wednesday, 18 February 2026. The warning is expected to remain active for several hours, with the next update scheduled to be issued by 7:30 pm. Residents should monitor local broadcasts and the Bureau of Meteorology website for further updates.