A lingering monsoon low is set to deliver heavy rain and potential flash flooding across parts of South Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales, with some areas possibly receiving a year's worth of rainfall in a single week. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings for north-western NSW, central and northern Victoria, north-east SA, and south-western Queensland, predicting heavy and locally intense rainfall.
Senior meteorologist Dean Narramore noted that outback towns like Marree, about 600km north of Adelaide, could see more than its average annual rainfall of 142mm, following a very dry year with just 37mm recorded in 2025. The region recently endured five consecutive days of temperatures at least 48°C. Communities such as Tibooburra and areas north of Broken Hill in NSW, and Birdsville in Queensland, are also at risk of significant falls.
Further thunderstorms with heavy rain and flash flooding are possible in central Victoria, including Melbourne, on Tuesday. Sydney is forecast to see several days of showers from late Wednesday to Sunday. The Indian Pacific tourist train between Perth and Sydney has been turned back after heavy rain washed away sections of track up to 100m. The Australian Rail Track Corporation is inspecting damage near Broken Hill and Port Augusta, with repairs expected to take over a week.
Several outback roads, including the Birdsville Track, have been closed. The heavy rain is expected to cause further disruptions and could isolate some communities, but it is also replenishing aquifers, rainwater tanks, and dams. Heavy rain is falling directly over Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, which could become full by next week. Meanwhile, Scone in the NSW Hunter region recorded 102.6mm at the airport on Sunday, a new record for the highest daily rainfall in February.
