Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Issued at 11:41 am EST on Saturday 13 January 2024

Flood Watch Number: 1

RIVER LEVEL RISES OCCURRING, FLOODING POSSIBLE ACROSS WESTERN CAPE YORK PENINSULA AND PARTS OF EASTERN CAPE

The monsoon trough extends across the Gulf of Carpentaria and Cape York Peninsula, with a weak low embedded in the trough in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria, bringing unsettled conditions to the Far North. The trough and low will remain slow moving over the coming days.

Locally heavy rainfall has been observed across the Flood Watch area over the last few days. In the 24 hours to 9am Saturday, several locations recorded between 150 and 200 mm rainfall, with rainfall totals around 100 mm recorded at several locations in the preceding 24 hours. Catchments are wet and rivers will respond relatively quickly to further rainfall.

Showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy falls are likely to continue until late Sunday into Monday, at which point rainfall may begin to become more widespread.

Abnormally high tides are also forecast to develop along the Gulf of Carpentaria coast and through the Torres Strait over the weekend and early next week with sea levels potentially exceeding the highest tide of the year.

River level rises are likely to continue and riverine flooding is possible within the Flood Watch area, particularly across western parts of the Peninsula Forecast District, as well as in isolated catchments in Eastern Cape York Peninsula.

Impacts to transport routes have been observed within the Flood Watch area. Further localised flooding, isolation of communities and disruption to transport routes are possible within the Flood Watch area over the next few days.

Catchments likely to be affected include:

Jardine River
Ducie, Jackson and Skardon Rivers
Wenlock River
Embley and Mission Rivers
Watson River
Archer and Coen Rivers
Holroyd and Kendall Rivers
Coleman and Edward Rivers
Mitchell River
Staaten River
Normanby River

See www.bom.gov.au/qld/warnings to view the current flood and cyclone products for Queensland.

For more information on the Flood Watch Service: http://www.bom.gov.au/water/floods/floodWarningServices.shtml

Flood Safety Advice:
This Flood Watch means that people living or working along rivers and creeks should monitor the latest weather forecasts and warnings.

Remember: If it's flooded, forget it.

For flood emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.

For life threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

Current emergency information is available at www.qld.gov.au/alerts.

This advice is also available by dialling 1300 659 219 at a low call cost of 27.5 cents, more from mobile, public and satellite phones.

Warning, rainfall and river information are available at www.bom.gov.au/qld/flood/

Rainfall and River Conditions Map