The Northern Territory's desert region is turning tropical with an outback town bracing for more heavy rainfall after its wettest start to the year on record.
Tennant Creek is set to receive its yearly average rainfall in the first two and a half weeks after a one-in-50-year deluge over the weekend.
Meteorologists say the normally arid town experienced 71mm of rain in just 70 minutes on Friday night, flooding the main street.
Tennant Creek has been drenched with more rain than tropical Darwin this year.
The worst of the deluge is yet to come with a low pressure system tipped to bring more heavy storms to Tennant Creek later on Monday and between Lajamanu and Yuendumu on Tuesday.
The Bureau of Meteorology says Tennant Creek and Lajamanu could be lashed with daily totals of 100mm, with isolated daily falls up to 150mm.
"Some of this rain may fall in a short time frame onto already saturated ground and could lead to widespread flooding," BoM Senior Forecaster Graeme King, said.
"A flood watch for western and central inland rivers is current since rainfall in this region is likely to lead to widespread stream and creek rises that will affect causeways, road access, and may isolate some communities."
Police say remote communities in the northern part of Central Australia have been cut off by floodwaters with road conditions expected to deteriorate significantly or remain impassable for longer.
There's currently flood waters on the Stuart Highway near Tennant Creek but cars can still proceed with caution.
Parts of the Tanami Highway are unpassable and have isolated Yuendumu.
A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for people in the Barkly and parts of the Carpentaria, Gregory and Tanami districts, where four day rainfall totals of up to 100mm are expected.
