Bundaberg residents told to evacuate immediately as parts of Queensland brace for major flooding | Australia weather

Residents of the Queensland coastal city of Bundaberg have been told to evacuate immediately as the region braces for major flooding following a tropical low.

This came after days of heavy rain in northern Australia; Parts of the Northern Territory have suffered the worst flooding in years and Darwin residents have called for water use reductions after the Darwin River Dam, the city’s main water supply, stopped working due to flooding.

Bundaberg’s local disaster management group has issued an emergency warning ahead of the expected peak of the swollen Burnett River on Tuesday evening.

On Tuesday afternoon, Bundaberg residents were told lives were at risk and advised to “leave immediately” ahead of major flooding that “will lead to property inundation and isolation”.

The Bureau of Meteorology said major river flooding in Bundaberg could exceed 7 meters on Tuesday afternoon and rise to 7.5 meters by midnight.

“The bridges will be closed at 3pm today,” Bundaberg Queensland MP Tom Smith said in a message to residents on Tuesday morning. “This means you have to make a decision about where you will stay.” He said the Bundaberg Recreation Precinct was established as a refuge.

“Rivers in Queensland are flowing rapidly, with major flooding occurring in at least 15 different rivers as of Tuesday morning,” the BoM said in a statement. “Rain cleared up in the hardest-hit areas by Monday afternoon and evening, but rivers will remain at high levels for some time given how much rain has already fallen.”

Tropical low 29U, which formed in the Coral Sea last week before moving inland, has moved offshore, BoM’s Daniel Hayes said. “All areas that saw significant weather conditions over the weekend are now much clearer.”

“A very large part of Queensland is now under water and most of the state – if not flooded – is still protected by a flood watch,” he said. “Areas that are not currently underwater may become flooded even if skies have largely cleared.”

Further inland in Mundubbera, the BoM warned that the Burnett was expected to cross the 18-metre major flood threshold on Tuesday afternoon. Gayndah residents were also asked to seek shelter in their local community hall, with a flood emergency warning issued by the North Burnett regional council.

Queensland’s highest three-day rainfall totals from 9am on Saturday to 9am on Tuesday included 396mm at Boondooma, 381mm at Marodian, 279mm at Bundaberg South and 263mm at Gympie.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday urged people in affected communities to prioritize their safety by following flood advisories and warnings.

He warned motorists not to drive through floodwater after several people, including a child from Bargara near Bundaberg, were rescued from inside or on top of their cars.

“If it’s flooded, forget it; we can’t say that too much,” he said. “If people follow this advice we will continue to provide support to state and territory governments as we always do.”

Trough over Northern Territory to bring more rain

Hayes said a trough over the Northern Territory causing major flooding in parts of the Top End was likely “to emerge for a few more days”. “We have a chance to see heavy rain today… [Tuesday] until tomorrow, possibly even by the end of the week.”

On Monday evening, Northern Territory water and electricity supplier PowerWater said the Darwin River Dam had stopped operating “due to significant flooding of the pump station and associated equipment”.

The dam’s spillway has been overflowing since January due to the heavy rainy season, and Monday’s rain pushed the dam’s capacity to more than 110%, PowerWater said.

“This is an unprecedented situation and we have never seen this much water volume in the dam before. Our priority is to safely repair the pump station and related equipment as soon as possible and we are investigating how to operate the dam with generators.

“We are asking Darwin residents to reduce their water use while we work to repair the dam.”

Hayes said preliminary data suggested Darwin’s wet season would be the seventh wettest on record. Katherine, which suffered its worst flooding in years on Saturday, was heading for its fifth wettest season ever.

Across Australia, the summer of 2025-26 was the wettest in almost a decade, with rainfall 32% above average across the country, according to the BoM.

Global warming makes Australia more vulnerable to extreme weather and natural disasters such as flash floods and heavy rainfall. In 2025, the third warmest year on record, global surface air temperatures averaged 1.48C above pre-industrial levels. For every 1 degree of warming, the atmosphere can hold 7 percent more moisture.

– with AAP