Heavy rainfall and possible flooding for northern Queensland over the next couple of days, as the remnants of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Maila move across the Cape York Peninsula.
Hi, I'm Christie at the Bureau, and let's start by taking a look at where Maila was situated last night.
Now, last night, Ex-Tropical Cyclone Maila was over the northern Coral Sea, well off the coast of Queensland. But through the overnight and morning period, the system has moved closer to the coast. You can see how it's really broken up as it approached the coast and developed into an extended area of low pressure.
As we go through the rest of today, that low pressure trough will move slowly closer to the coast. We will see showers increasing along the coastal region from about the Whitsundays north to the tip of the Cape York Peninsula. There is also the potential for some thunderstorms. These are most likely along the coastal fringe, particularly through the late afternoon and into the evening. We're also expecting to see showers starting to push into the central parts of the Cape York Peninsula late tonight.
As we move through tomorrow, that system will make its way across the Cape York Peninsula. We will continue to see showers and thunderstorms along the North Tropical Coast, but they will also extend right across the peninsula into the northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, and into parts of the Gulf Country and the Gulf of Carpentaria.
On Thursday, the system will continue to move towards the Northern Territory. We will see quite widespread showers and thunderstorms through northern Queensland, extending into the Central West and North West districts, and also into eastern parts of the Northern Territory.
So how much rainfall are we expecting with this system? Let's take a look at the rainfall between this morning and the end of Friday.
We can see quite widespread yellow and orange areas – these indicate totals between about 20 mm and 70–80 mm. The pattern is quite patchy, and that's because heavy showers and thunderstorms will be embedded within the broader rainfall. So some of those heavier falls will be hit and miss.
However, northern Queensland has already seen a lot of rainfall in recent weeks, including from Tropical Cyclone Narelle. Catchments are very wet, and any heavy showers or thunderstorms could cause localised flash flooding and river rises. The North Tropical Coast is where we are most concerned about the risk of flash flooding. These purple and red areas show where we could see 100 mm to 200 mm or even higher totals if multiple thunderstorms move over the same location.
This is also the area most likely to see riverine flooding, and a Flood Watch has been issued. This includes the Daintree and Mossman Rivers in the north, the Mulgrave and Russell Rivers around Cairns, and the Tully, Herbert and Murray Rivers further south. Minor flooding is the most likely outcome, but there is the potential to approach Moderate Flood levels if higher-end rainfall occurs.
If you live in northern Queensland, or know someone who does, it's important to stay up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings via the Bureau's website or the BOM Weather app.
As always, follow all advice from your local emergency services and please stay safe.
Hi, I'm Christie at the Bureau, and let's start by taking a look at where Maila was situated last night.
Now, last night, Ex-Tropical Cyclone Maila was over the northern Coral Sea, well off the coast of Queensland. But through the overnight and morning period, the system has moved closer to the coast. You can see how it's really broken up as it approached the coast and developed into an extended area of low pressure.
As we go through the rest of today, that low pressure trough will move slowly closer to the coast. We will see showers increasing along the coastal region from about the Whitsundays north to the tip of the Cape York Peninsula. There is also the potential for some thunderstorms. These are most likely along the coastal fringe, particularly through the late afternoon and into the evening. We're also expecting to see showers starting to push into the central parts of the Cape York Peninsula late tonight.
As we move through tomorrow, that system will make its way across the Cape York Peninsula. We will continue to see showers and thunderstorms along the North Tropical Coast, but they will also extend right across the peninsula into the northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, and into parts of the Gulf Country and the Gulf of Carpentaria.
On Thursday, the system will continue to move towards the Northern Territory. We will see quite widespread showers and thunderstorms through northern Queensland, extending into the Central West and North West districts, and also into eastern parts of the Northern Territory.
So how much rainfall are we expecting with this system? Let's take a look at the rainfall between this morning and the end of Friday.
We can see quite widespread yellow and orange areas – these indicate totals between about 20 mm and 70–80 mm. The pattern is quite patchy, and that's because heavy showers and thunderstorms will be embedded within the broader rainfall. So some of those heavier falls will be hit and miss.
However, northern Queensland has already seen a lot of rainfall in recent weeks, including from Tropical Cyclone Narelle. Catchments are very wet, and any heavy showers or thunderstorms could cause localised flash flooding and river rises. The North Tropical Coast is where we are most concerned about the risk of flash flooding. These purple and red areas show where we could see 100 mm to 200 mm or even higher totals if multiple thunderstorms move over the same location.
This is also the area most likely to see riverine flooding, and a Flood Watch has been issued. This includes the Daintree and Mossman Rivers in the north, the Mulgrave and Russell Rivers around Cairns, and the Tully, Herbert and Murray Rivers further south. Minor flooding is the most likely outcome, but there is the potential to approach Moderate Flood levels if higher-end rainfall occurs.
If you live in northern Queensland, or know someone who does, it's important to stay up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings via the Bureau's website or the BOM Weather app.
As always, follow all advice from your local emergency services and please stay safe.
Weather update: Rain, storms and flood risk for Far North Queensland
14 April 2026
Video current: 1:00 pm AEST Tuesday 14/04/26.