Deluge in the centre of Australia

This time the biggest falls are further up the damaged Stuart Highway at Alice Springs which has recorded 83 millimetres already and rain is still falling.

A massive logistical effort is under way to fix rail lines and bridges washed out along a long section of the Trans-Australian Railway in remote parts of northern South Australia.

The Australian Defence Force is continuing to drop food supplies into the outback through the Coober Pedy Airport.

Supermarket shelves have been stripped in the Northern Territory both through panic buying and the lack of supplies.

Freight companies are trying to reach the cut off Territory through massive road detours through Queensland.

The Stuart Highway is still cut at Glendambo.

Overnight rain totals: Maree 22mm, Oodnadatta 12mm (after 50mm the day before) and Mooba 15mm.

Motorists are being warned not to travel into the outback areas.

"Many roads are now closed, impassable or very dangerous. We are asking people to stay away from these areas, or if you are in these locations, stay put and rethink any non-essential travel,'' Chris Beattie, chief officer of the SA State Emergency Service said yesterday.

IN OTHER NEWS:

The Australian Rail Track Corporation says it will be several weeks before the rail can be repaired both to Perth and Darwin.

Much of the damage caused by flash floods was in the remote Tarcoola region where the rail line splits to head north and continue west.

The region has been spared any further rain so far this week and the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts are good for the repair work to continue.

https://www.dit.sa.gov.au/OutbackRoads and http://traffic.sa.gov.au