Weather News
Top End floods cut off NT communities as severe weather warning issued
By Lucy Marks, Monday January 2, 2017 - 20:16 EDT
Two Top End communities have been cut off by floodwaters, while the weather bureau has said more could be affected as the worst of the heavy rain is yet to come.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issued a severe weather warning for part of the Top End and Gregory District with daily totals of up to 200 millimetres.
The wet weather expected from tonight and into the next 24 hours is likely to lead to flash flooding, affecting the Daly and Victoria Rivers.
"With these rainfall totals, there will be communities that will become isolated and causeways will get flooded over the next few days," BOM forecaster Angeline Prasad said.
The monsoon trough and a deep tropical low, moving west across the Top End from Katherine, is causing the wild weather, the bureau said.
Rainfall totals of 50-150mm were already recorded by 9:00am on Monday at Adelaide River, Daly River and Victoria River, with 163mm at Nightcliff in Darwin.
The community of Yarralin, south-west of Darwin, has been cut off by Sandy Creek, while supplies have been dropped by helicopter to Lingara, which is also cut off by flooded rivers.
The river was rising in Katherine, and although the low pressure system sits just west of the town, no flooding was expected there.
The bureau said this weather pattern was normal for this time of year.
The rain has caused the closure of a number of popular swimming spots in the Top End, such as Wangi Falls and Buley Rockhole in Litchfield National Park.
Surfers in Nightcliff enjoyed the unusually large swell, caused by a high tide and strong winds.
- ABC
© ABC
2017
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