‘A saltwater crocodile on the AFL oval’: worst flooding in decades inundates NT as residents urged to avoid water

Schools and highways close and Territorians living near major rivers leave amid possibly record-breaking rain Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Katherine’s mayor has warned locals to be wary of flood waters inundating the town after a crocodile was spotted on the local football oval, while residents are being warned to boil their water amid the record-breaking deluge. As rain and storms continued to soak the Top End on Monday, the Bureau of Meteorology issued major flood warnings for thousands of Territorians near the Katherine, Daly and Georgina Rivers and Eyre Creek, with a flood watch covering nearly a dozen river catchments. The bureau also warned of severe thunderstorms and heavy rain in Darwin. The Daly River – which flows 354km all the way to the mouth of the Timor Sea – was still rising, having passed its major flood level, after “extremely heavy rain”, senior meteorologist Angus Hines said. The river was expected to peak at about 15.3 metres or higher – the highest since 1998 (when the river reached 16.25m) – by around Wednesday, rising from 10 metres last Monday, with flooding l

Mar 9, 2026 → Mar 24, 2026