Wild winds cause significant damage to Adelaide’s power network

Severe wind gusts have caused significant damage to Adelaide’s power network, leaving tens of thousands of properties in the dark.

Severe wind gusts have caused significant damage to Adelaide’s power network, leaving tens of thousands of properties in the dark.

At the peak of the blackouts, just after 11.55pm, there were 39,450properties without power as wild winds lashed parts of South Australia.

Check the list of outages here.

The Country Fire Service and State Emergency Service responded to nearly 500 severe weather incidents, largely involving trees and power lines down across metropolitan areas.

Some houses in the Adelaide Hills and in the southern suburbs have been damaged from falling trees.

Severe wind gusts are continuing to cause significant damage to our network. This from Marion Rd, Mitchell Park. Traffic control in place. Avoid the area and take care. pic.twitter.com/iQAAztDTPB

— SA Power Networks (@SAPowerNetworks) November 21, 2018

Fences have been knocked down by the strong winds reaching above 90km/h and roof panels ripped from sheds and businesses.

Bald Hills Rd at Nairne was flooded while a powered Hungry Jacks sign on Park Tce, Salisbury was in danger of falling.

SA Power Network crews were sent to repair power lines which felled from strong winds or snagged by broken branches across Adelaide, including on Marion Rd, Mitchell Park and Seaview Rd next to Henley Beach Hotel.

Sand bags were being distributed to properties and SES volunteers were kept busy as the night unfolded.

UPDATE #SeverwWeatherWarning: Extending east into the #Riverland and #Murraylands.
Recorded wind gusts: Hindmarsh Island 107 km/h, Edithburgh 96 km/h, Cleve 95 km/h and Cape Willoughby 98 km/h. All between around 1:30 pm.
See latest warning at https://t.co/Wij4vttQhe pic.twitter.com/gzchRx2SHz

— Bureau of Meteorology, South Australia (@BOM_SA) November 21, 2018

The damaging gusts were caused by an intense low pressure system south of Kangaroo Island

Already today wind gusts have been recorded at 107km/h at Hindmarsh Island, 98km/h at Cape Willoughby, 96km/h at Edithburgh and 95km/h at Cleve.

Closer to home Adelaide Airport observed 98km/h wind gust.

About 2pm yesterday, emergency services were called to rescue a 75-year-old man from the River Torrens at Lockleys.

The man was reportedly clinging to a tree in the water when emergency services were called.

He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment.

Two cars collided outside the Castle Plaza Shopping Centre at Edwardstown about 8.30pm yesterday, where one vehicle rolled.

Fortunately no one had serious injuries.