Australia Weather News
Residents of Daly River arrive at Batchelor airport after being evacuated due to flooding. - ABC
A 28-year-old man is missing in floodwaters as an emergency is declared for the Northern Territory community of Daly River, or Nauiyu.
A major flood is forecast for the area and evacuation of the community of 434 people is underway.
NT police said three men were caught in floodwaters in the Daly River community on Friday afternoon, and while two of the men swam to safety, the third man is missing.
"Last night we received a report of a man missing after being swept off a crossing near Peppimenarti," Commander Bruce Porter said.
"He was in a car that had [attempted] to cross a floodway yesterday afternoon, the car was swept off the crossing with three people inside."
The two men who made it to safety attempted to locate the third man, before returning to their community and raising the alarm after 10:00pm.
Police said a search commenced at first light.
NT police region 2 controller Commander Bruce Porter said evacuations were being carried out in two stages.
"First by airlift to Batchelor and then by bus to Darwin, where the evacuees will be accommodated in the Foskey Pavilion at the Royal Darwin Showgrounds," he said.
"Unfortunately the whole community cannot be evacuated today. Those who remain are staying on higher ground tonight and the evacuation will be completed tomorrow."
Acting Chief Minister Willem Westra van Holthe said the flood situation was intensifying, and the Daly River was expected to reach the major flood level of 14 metres by Saturday afternoon.
There were also minor flood warnings for the Katherine and Adelaide rivers.
The Katherine River level was also expected to reach the minor flood level for Katherine River Gorge Road over the weekend.
On Saturday afternoon the Edith River level was also high, and had met the level of the Stuart Highway affecting southbound lanes approximately 60 kilometres north of Katherine.
The Adelaide River level was expected to fall towards the watch point of nine metres at the Adelaide River township, but further rainfall could bring fresh river rises.
It comes as a tropical low, which developed days ago west of the Gulf of Carpentaria, continues to track slowly over land.
A cyclone watch is current for the regions from Port Roper to the Northern Territory-Queensland border, including Groote Eylandt.
In the NT, emergency services were coordinating evacuation logistics from Daly River after roads were blocked by floodwaters and the town's airstrip unable to be used.
Residents will be housed at the Foskey Pavillion at the Darwin showground.
The emergency issued by NT Police came after heavy rain from a low pressure system across the Top End, which the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said may turn into a cyclone in the Gulf of Carpentaria on Sunday.
On Saturday morning the weather system was about 30 kilometres east-south-east of Katherine, and heading towards the Gulf of Carpentaria with wind gusts of up to 85 kilometres per hour.
Gabriel Branescu from the weather bureau said the system had the potential to become a cyclone if it headed out over water.
"[It] may enter the Gulf of Carpentaria late Saturday or early Sunday morning, and depending on how much time it spends over the water it may develop to a cyclone later Sunday," Mr Branescu said.
The movement of the low was bringing a welcome break from days of heavy rain in Darwin.
The weather station at Gourley recorded 276 millimetres in the 24 hours to 9:00am on Saturday, and Beeboom Crossing had 258 millimetres.
Several other weather stations recorded well over 200 millimetres.
ABC