Severe Weather Warning: Heavy Rainfall and Flash Flooding for Upper and Lower Western NSW

Alert Details

The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a Severe Weather Warning for heavy and locally intense rainfall. This is a top-priority alert for the Lower Western and Upper Western forecast districts, classified as a major warning group type.

Affected Areas

The warning covers parts of the Upper Western and Lower Western Forecast Districts. Specific locations that may be affected include:

• Tibooburra
• Broken Hill
• Wilcannia
• White Cliffs
• Wanaaring
• Menindee

What You Should Do

The State Emergency Service (SES) advises residents to take the following precautions:

• Do not drive, ride, or walk through flood water.
• Keep clear of creeks and storm drains.
• If you are trapped by flash flooding, seek refuge in the highest available place and call 000 if you require rescue.
• For emergency assistance in floods and storms, contact the SES at 132 500.
• Monitor updates via the Hazards Near Me NSW app.

Expected Conditions

An extremely humid airmass associated with a slow-moving tropical low over the southern Northern Territory is driving the event. Expected conditions include:

• Heavy Rainfall: Six-hour rainfall totals between 30 and 60 mm are likely, with 24-hour totals between 50 and 90 mm. Isolated 24-hour totals could reach 130 mm.
• Intense Rainfall: Isolated thunderstorms may produce intense rainfall of approximately 100 mm within a six-hour period, potentially leading to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding.
• Flood Risk: Flood Watches and Warnings are currently active for the region.

Timeline

The warning was issued at 4:30 pm AEDT on Tuesday, 24 February 2026. Heavy rainfall is expected to persist through Wednesday, with conditions likely to ease by Thursday morning. The next update is scheduled to be issued by 11:00 pm AEDT Tuesday.