Bureau of Meteorology issues severe weather warning for Top End monsoon

Flood advice warnings have been issued for 13 river catchments as a slow moving monsoonal system creeps over the Top End, with heavy rainfall and damaging winds expected.

‘Buckets’ of rain and damaging winds of up to 90km/h are expected to lash the Top End as a monsoonal squall blows in from the west.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings for most of the Territory’s coastal areas, with conditions likely to worsen through the week.

On Sunday, senior meteorologist Sally Cutter said wet and windy conditions were expected right across the Top End, with flood advice warnings already issued for Territorians in North Western Rivers, Bonaparte and Western parts of Carpentaria regions.

“We’ve got a monsoon low down around near Wadeye at the moment. It’s slow moving, but it’s deepening,” Ms Cutter said.

“The pressure’s getting lower, which means the winds are picking up around the north of it.

“We’re going to see those squally monsoonal showers come through and there may bring some damaging wind gusts.”

Ms Cutter said heavy rainfall may result in flash flooding across northern and western coastal waters, with rainfall totals expected to reach 100-160mm over just six hours on Monday.

#Monsoon flow across the #TopEnd including #Darwin is set to increase from Sunday afternoon into Monday.
Damaging #wind gusts up to around 90 km/h are possible with monsoon squalls.
Heavy #rainfall to develop during Monday.
Stay tuned https://t.co/Y3ODTyPbijpic.twitter.com/58Bax8Smlg

— Bureau of Meteorology, Northern Territory (@BOM_NT) January 14, 2024

The senior meteorologist said some regions had already experienced heavy downpours, with 171mm recorded at Port Keats station, while the Bradshaw Field Training Area near Timber Creek recording 127mm in the 24 hours to 9am, Sunday.

Ms Cutter said the monsoon was dropping “buckets” of water on the region, with the slow moving system expected to largely sit over the west for the next few days.

“There’s a little bit of variation about how east it gets, before it goes south,” she said.

Flash flood warning have already been issued, however Ms Cutter said more prolonged flooding could develop across 13 catchment areas over the next four days.

Bureau of Meteorology senior metrologist Sally Cutter.

Secure NT has issued an advice flood warning for residents along the Victoria River below Kalkarindji, Fitzmaurice River, Mary River, Upper Adelaide River and Adelaide River Town, Finniss River, Lower Daly River, Daly River above Douglas River, Katherine River, Moyle River, South Alligator River, Wildman River and Waterhouse River.

While there was no immediate danger to residents, Ms Cutter said everyone should keep an eye on weather warnings in case the situation escalated.

“It really depends on where and exactly how much rain falls as a lot of it is still soaking in,” she said

“We just not yet seeing the sustained rise that will keep going into the flooding.

“The rivers are going to be coming up … (but) we won't see any real flooding till mid to late week.”

“But we are keeping a very close eye on it”

Last year monsoonal conditions resulted in 700 people being evacuated from Daguragu, Pigeon Hole and Kalkarindji, however Ms Cutter said it was unclear if the current season would cause that level of displacement again.

The weekend weather has already started to wreak havoc on the Top End, with homes reporting fallen trees, while kids footy was cancelled on Tiwi Islands following ferry and flight cancellations.

In a post AFL Tiwi Islands said all of their staff were “stuck with the Bombers” due to the rough weather, with an update on the islands community sports program expected later this week.