Secure NT has warned of flash flooding in Darwin on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the Bureau of Meteorology predicts a moderate chance of a cyclone developing in the Gulf of Carpentaria later this week, with that rain system to move over a section of the Stuart Highway which was the major cause of food supply disruptions in late January.

The BOM senior meteorologist Rebecca Patrick said that on Monday Darwin had the highest single-day rainfall since 2017, and the city was forecast to receive between 50 mm to 100 mm of rain on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Secure NT advised that rain could possibly cause flash floods, after the overflowing Rapid Creek closed Trower and McMillans roads at the Kimmorley Bridge, and Bagot Rd in Ludmilla on Monday.

The BOM said 165mm rain was recorded at Darwin Airport on Monday, 158mm at Nightcliff, 154mm at Marrara,146 mm at Leanyer, 140 at Ludmilla, and 136mm at Pinelands

The bureau’s tropical cyclone forecast map said there was a moderate risk of a tropical low forming into a cyclone in the east of the Gulf of Carpentaria on Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning, and even if it did not develop, parts of the Gulf coast could experience strong to gale force winds and heavy rainfall.

“The Top End is at risk of seeing a tropical cyclone develop later in the week. We’re still keeping a close eye on that area and all communities in those Gulf and interior regions should keep up to date with the latest warnings,” Ms Patrick said.

“Catchments in the flood watch area are relatively wet due to rainfall over recent weeks and are likely to respond relatively quickly to further heavy rainfall.

“Daily rainfall totals of 40 to 80 mm over the flood watch area are expected, with the highest falls likely about the western and northwestern coasts, where falls of over 120mm are possible.”

The bureau has also advised possible minimal flooding for northwest coastal rivers and the aterhouse River.

The now-tropical low is likely to cross the coast at Borroloola late Friday or early Saturday, where it will weaken, and over the weekend and early next week it is expected to move west over central NT, including over Elliott, Kalkarindji and Lajamanu, before crossing into northern Western Australia.

It is forecast to move over a section of the Stuart Hwy below Daly Waters Hi-Way Inn, which has been dirt and caused food deliveries to Darwin to be stopped in January.

The official reason given for the highway being closed on and off between Friday January 19 and the following Tuesday delaying road trains with fresh produce and food, was that flooding and “damage to the road” had occurred, however sources have said the main cause was the section of road that was inexplicably not completed in over 10 months.

The closure of the highway came at the same time as the rail line between Adelaide and Darwin was damaged by flood waters, with freight trains unable to be used past Alice Springs, which resulted in Darwin supermarkets shelves running bare of fresh produce last weekend.