The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued flood-watch alerts for large swathes of the Northern Territory and Queensland as a strengthening monsoon trough dumps up to 300 mm of rain over the holiday weekend. Rivers in the Waterhouse, Barkly, Carpentaria and Arnhem coastal catchments are on watch, as are Queensland’s north-west interior and north-east tropical coast.
Roadhouse operators along the Stuart and Barkly Highways report early supply runs by logistics firms keen to beat possible closures. Grey-nomad caravanners heading south after Christmas are being urged to check LiveTraffic updates and carry three days of water and provisions. The Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services (NTPFES) say swift-water rescue crews are pre-positioned in Katherine and Tennant Creek.
![Monsoon Trough Threatens Holiday Travel in Northern Australia]()
Air travel may also be affected. Darwin Airport is monitoring runway water-logging and has warned airlines that afternoon thunderstorm cells could force holding patterns or diversions to Broome or Cairns. Qantas and Airnorth have introduced flexible rebooking for flights to remote mining strips such as Gove and Groote Eylandt.
For businesses shipping time-sensitive freight – notably perishable seafood and mango exports – the timing is critical. Freight forwarders are activating contingency plans to truck goods south to Cairns for uplift if Darwin operations are curtailed.
BOM models suggest the heaviest rainfall will ease by 30 December, but catchments will remain saturated. Travellers are advised to allow extra journey time and heed local road-closure notices.
Roadhouse operators along the Stuart and Barkly Highways report early supply runs by logistics firms keen to beat possible closures. Grey-nomad caravanners heading south after Christmas are being urged to check LiveTraffic updates and carry three days of water and provisions. The Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services (NTPFES) say swift-water rescue crews are pre-positioned in Katherine and Tennant Creek.
Air travel may also be affected. Darwin Airport is monitoring runway water-logging and has warned airlines that afternoon thunderstorm cells could force holding patterns or diversions to Broome or Cairns. Qantas and Airnorth have introduced flexible rebooking for flights to remote mining strips such as Gove and Groote Eylandt.
For businesses shipping time-sensitive freight – notably perishable seafood and mango exports – the timing is critical. Freight forwarders are activating contingency plans to truck goods south to Cairns for uplift if Darwin operations are curtailed.
BOM models suggest the heaviest rainfall will ease by 30 December, but catchments will remain saturated. Travellers are advised to allow extra journey time and heed local road-closure notices.
Source: News.com.au
