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March 8, 2026 - Water Fills Australia's Salt Lakes
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Extreme rains struck southeastern Australia in late February and early March 2026, bringing thunderstorms and flash flooding to South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. This drenching was followed by a second storm in March, which also brought flooding further north, in Queensland.
Local media dubbed the southeastern rains “once in a generation” due to their wild intensity. Between March 1-2, Braemar, in New South Wales recorded 149 mm (5.8 inches) of rain while 129 mm (5 inches) fell in Yunta and 125 mm (4.9 inches) doused McCoys Well, both in South Australia. The extreme rains followed an extended period of drought for most of the affected areas. Parched soils often cannot absorb heavy rainfall rapidly, resulting in rapid runoff and intensifying chances of floods.
Despite widespread calamity, there is also good news. Reservoirs have been filled and ranch ponds and water tanks have been renewed, bringing relief for livestock operations. A flush of green vegetation is beginning to appear on previously dry pasture. And, in the scorchingly arid outback of South Australia, normally parched and salt-encrusted playas are brimming with water.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this false-colored image of water filling South Australia’s salt pans on March 6. In this type of image, water appears blue, with deeper water tinted darker than shallow water. Also, open land looks tan and vegetation appears green.
The largest lake, Lake Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre sits in the north. Both of its southern basins appear dark blue, suggesting they are nearing full levels, while water completely covers the salt in the northern section. The major lakes oriented on a roughly north-to-south axis, beginning in the east include Lake Fromme, Lake Torrens, and Lake Gardner—all filling with fresh water over the salty mineral crust. A flush of green covers the usually arid landscape, marking fresh growth of vegetation, including blooms of desert flowers.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 3/6/2026
Resolutions:
1km (402.7 KB), 500m (954.7 KB), 250m (1.3 MB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Extreme rains struck southeastern Australia in late February and early March 2026, bringing thunderstorms and flash flooding to South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. This drenching was followed by a second storm in March, which also brought flooding further north, in Queensland.
Local media dubbed the southeastern rains “once in a generation” due to their wild intensity. Between March 1-2, Braemar, in New South Wales recorded 149 mm (5.8 inches) of rain while 129 mm (5 inches) fell in Yunta and 125 mm (4.9 inches) doused McCoys Well, both in South Australia. The extreme rains followed an extended period of drought for most of the affected areas. Parched soils often cannot absorb heavy rainfall rapidly, resulting in rapid runoff and intensifying chances of floods.
Despite widespread calamity, there is also good news. Reservoirs have been filled and ranch ponds and water tanks have been renewed, bringing relief for livestock operations. A flush of green vegetation is beginning to appear on previously dry pasture. And, in the scorchingly arid outback of South Australia, normally parched and salt-encrusted playas are brimming with water.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this false-colored image of water filling South Australia’s salt pans on March 6. In this type of image, water appears blue, with deeper water tinted darker than shallow water. Also, open land looks tan and vegetation appears green.
The largest lake, Lake Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre sits in the north. Both of its southern basins appear dark blue, suggesting they are nearing full levels, while water completely covers the salt in the northern section. The major lakes oriented on a roughly north-to-south axis, beginning in the east include Lake Fromme, Lake Torrens, and Lake Gardner—all filling with fresh water over the salty mineral crust. A flush of green covers the usually arid landscape, marking fresh growth of vegetation, including blooms of desert flowers.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 3/6/2026
Resolutions:
1km (402.7 KB), 500m (954.7 KB), 250m (1.3 MB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
