Adelaide weather: After all the rain blistering heat forecast for SA

UPDATE: Adelaide’s heatwave looks like it will be even hotter than first forecast — but spare a thought for the folk of Moomba, who are set to endure a record-breaking six days over 45C.

People are being warned about stormwater run-off at beaches such as Henley Beach (pictured).

• What’s the weather: Full forecast for rest of week
• Rain, rain goes away but scorching heat soon here to stay

ADELAIDE’S heatwave looks like it will be even hotter than first forecast — but spare a thought for the folk of Moomba, who are set to endure a record-breaking six days over 45C.

Adelaide was originally tipped to experience a 41C day on Wednesday and 39C on Thursday and Friday.

But the Bureau of Meteorology revised their forecast on Tuesday afternoon, with the CBD now looking at topping 41C on Wednesday and Thursday, before a 39C maximum on Friday and 37C on Saturday.

In Moomba, the temperature is set to rise even higher, with the next six days predicted to top 45C.

The previous record for the town, in the state’s far north, was for five days above 45C in January 2004 and January 2013.

Meanwhile, swimmers have been warned about cooling off at some of the city’s most popular beaches where stormwater run-off is posing health risks.

Henley Beach, Hallett Cove and Christies Beach have been identified as having poor water quality by the Environment Protection Authority. EPA spokesman Chris Metevelis said “we just ask people to exercise their own judgment” around discoloured water.

The warning came as Adelaide’s unseasonal weather produced the third wettest summer on record, ahead of a hot spell with searing temperatures forecast for the rest of the week.

The advice from the EPA applies for a 72-hour period but could be extended if more stormwater flows into the gulf.

A total of 30.2mm of rain fell in Adelaide from Saturday to 9am yesterday morning.

At least 47mm fell at Mt Lofty while the highest rainfall, 52mm, was recorded at Owen in the state’s Mid North.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Tina Donaldson said: “(This event) could be to do with the monsoon and we’ve just seen some of that tropical moisture dragged further south.

“We might only see that once or twice in a summer but we’ve had that happen quite a few times this summer.

“In summer, the average rainfall is 66mm (and) so far Adelaide is up to 164mm.”

Ms Donaldson said no more rain was forecast for Adelaide for the rest of the week.

“We’ve got in the high 30Cs and up to 40Cs mid-week and into the weekend,” she said.

A soggy morning in Adelaide on Monday — but it’s about to heat up again.

The higher than average rainfall in the past few months has led to a drop in the consumption of water by metropolitan customers.

So far this year, 16,553ML has been used, compared with 20,406ML in 2016. Natural summer inflows to reservoirs have also increased fivefold, from 3027ML in 2015-16 to 16,974ML to date this summer.

An SA Water spokesman said the extreme weather and prolonged rainfall throughout SA since mid last year had been extraordinary compared to the “drought-like” conditions in February 2016.

“If we continue to receive good inflows into our reservoirs this year, we will require less water from the River Murray than we did last year to meet our customers’ consumption requirements,” the spokesman said.

The decrease in water consumption is likely largely to do with fewer green thumbs needing mains water to keep their gardens in good shape.

Gardening expert Sophie Thomson said the bumper summer rainfall was mostly a blessing for plants but there were some risks.

“This weather will cause a proliferation of mildew, which springs up when we get humidity, and that can affect all sorts of plants,” she said.

“(But) the positives certainly outweigh any negatives from the rain.”

She advised covering newly planted vegetables and plants with temporary shade when the mercury rises this week.

Country Fire Service spokeswoman Alison Martin said despite the wet weather, fire season dates would not be shortened because the Bureau of Meteorology outlook predicts the rest of the season will be warmer and drier than average.

The rain has lead to a lot of growth, and Ms Martin said once that dries over the next few months, there would be a lot of fuel around.

“It would just take that one hot afternoon with wind to do some damage,” she said.