Source: Bureau of Meteorology

For people in Barkly and parts of Simpson and Tanami districts.

Issued at 10:06 am Saturday, 21 February 2026.

HEAVY, LOCALLY INTENSE RAINFALL OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST NORTHERN TERRITORY.

Weather Situation: A tropical low is situated near the Simpson, Barkly and Queensland border region and is expected to move slowly southward and strengthen during the weekend. Rich tropical moisture is feeding into the system, which will bring a broad chance of heavy to locally intense rainfall, especially on its northern and eastern sides. The chance of locally intense rainfall is greatest during the overnight hours.

HEAVY TO LOCALLY INTENSE RAINFALL which may lead to DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODING is forecast for parts of the Barkly, Simpson and Tanami districts. Six-hourly rainfall totals between 55 and 90 mm are likely, with localised falls to 140 mm possible. 24-hourly rainfall totals between 100 and 150 mm are likely, with localised falls to 200 mm possible.

DAMAGING WINDS with gusts of about 90 km/h are possible near showers and thunderstorms.

These conditions also threaten cattle and other livestock.

Separate Flood Watches and/or Warnings are current at the time of issue. Please refer to https://www.bom.gov.au/weather-and-climate/warnings-and-alerts/ for more information.

Locations which may be affected include Tennant Creek and Ali Curung.

The Northern Territory Emergency Service advises that people should:
* secure loose outside objects and seek shelter when conditions deteriorate
* pull over if it is raining heavily and you cannot see, park with your hazard lights on until the rain clears
* avoid driving into water of unknown depth and current
* create your own sandbags if there is flooding, by using pillow cases or shopping bags filled with sand and place them around doorways to protect your home
* stay away from flooded drains, rivers, streams and waterways
* ensure pets and animals are safe
* be prepared in case of power outages, have an emergency kit with a radio, torch, spare batteries and first aid kit
* for emergency help in floods, storms and cyclones, contact the NTES on 132 500. For more safety tips visit www.securent.nt.gov.au