Flood warnings issued for parts of SA, Riverland, North East Pastoral, Flinders, widespread road closures in SA from rain
One of the wildest and wettest springs in memory has left SA wondering if summer will ever arrive after downpours closed roads and swamped paddocks – again.
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Enough with the rain already. And bring on the warm weather.
That’s the message from many Riverland primary producers in the midst of one the wildest and wettest springs some longstanding locals can remember.
After being smashed by severe hail and wind which decimated some stone fruit and grape crops a few weeks ago, the traditionally dry region was this week on the receiving end of more unusual weather.
Residents woke on Thursday to flood warnings, but breathed a sigh of relief when the storm passed to their north and there was no significant rain.
But some areas around Waikerie copped more than 40 millimetres of rain in about 90 minutes, and 50mm in a few hours, on Wednesday, causing minor flooding on the streets, on the town’s football oval and in the backyards of many homes in the picturesque riverside town which has average annual rainfall of about 200 millimetres.
Max Ancell is the owner of Turf Supplies, which has been supplying lawn to homes across the Riverland since 2008. He said he’d never seen as much water on his 16 hectare property as he had after Wednesday’s downpour.
“I was just talking to one of the workers and it was just raining lightly, and the next minute it was just pouring down,” he said on Thursday.
“By the time he got into the shed his boots were full of water and he was completely drenched. He looked at the gauge and in less than 20 minutes we’d had 21 millimetres.”
Another 20 millimetres fell in the next few hours, and when The Advertiser arrived on Thursday afternoon, there was still a large temporary lake covering much of his grass.
But he and his staff were still able to harvest a load of turf on Thursday morning and he was confident all of the grass would recover from the deluge.
Further up the highway at Renmark, Balwinder and Jasvinder Bachra, owners of Bachra Produce, are still recovering from storms damaging about 30 per cent of their fruit crop was a few weeks ago.
Hundreds of stone fruit and grape growers are expected to lose millions of dollars from the storms on October 28 and November 6.
The Bachras, who have farmed on their 60-hectare property for 21 years, were packaging hail-damaged peaches when The Advertiser visited on Thursday and said this year’s extraordinary weather had been challenging.
“We don’t want any more rain for the next six weeks,” Mr Bachra, who farms peaches, nectarines, apricots and grapes, said.
Barmera producer Peter Brook lost 100 per cent of his cherry farm and 95 per cent of his vineyard in the November storm. He said the storm would probably cost him $150,000.
“It’s pretty horrendous, pretty depressing really, walking around the vineyard,” he said.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Tom Boeck said the forecast for the Riverland for the next seven days was promising for those wanting warmer, dry conditions.
But he said Australia was currently in a La Nina weather event which usually meant more rain and the bureau’s long-term outlook for summer was for slightly above average rain.
Floodwaters close border roads just days after reopening
Unseasonal heavy rain prompted flood warnings in regional areas, forcing the closure of roads at some of the state’s borders.
A flood watch was issued for the Flinders Ranges, southern parts of the northeast pastoral districts, and the Riverland for Thursday due to a low-pressure system forecast to bring thunderstorms and heavy rain.
The weather has affected multiple roads across the state including the Birdsville Track at the Queensland border. For the latest closures, go here.
Other deluged roads which may affect interstate travellers include the Strzelecki Track, used by travellers going to or from Queensland and New South Wales, and the Barrier Highway to Broken Hill between Peterborough and Cockburn.
There was no hint of the wild weather battering the regions for people living in Adelaide on Thursday, where it was a dry and sunny 22C spring day.
Catchments expected to be affected by flooding include the Flinders Ranges rivers and creeks, Lake Frome, Danggali River and River Murray Riverlands.
A severe weather warning was also issued in the Flinders and northeast pastoral districts, where six-hourly rainfall totals were predicted to reach up to 60mm, and 100mm by the end of the day.
In the 24 hours until 1pm Thursday, 24mm had fallen near Yunta, and 34mm near Roxby Downs.
The State Emergency Service warned residents to prepare for roads to be affected for days.
“Make sure you have enough food, water, medications and pet food for a week so you will not need to go out in the storm,” the alert said.
Sandbags were available for distribution in Barmera, Berri, Renmark and Quorn at various times in preparation for the rain.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Vince Rowlands said the system was not something observed often in the state at this time of the year.
Barrier Highway closed between Cockburn & Adelaide due to flooding pic.twitter.com/yibRHRSXiJ
— Sarah McConnell (@SarahJMcConnell) November 25, 2021
A Severe Weather Warning is current for heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding. Six-hourly rainfall totals of 40 to 60mm are possible. More details here: https://t.co/tp3gdBqYompic.twitter.com/UJ28hnil8B
— Bureau of Meteorology, South Australia (@BOM_SA) November 24, 2021
“To have a low-pressure system like this moving through is probably more unusual, so not something that we see that often up through that area,” Mr Rowlands.
“Through this morning into the afternoon we’re likely to see those falls really start to pick up,” Mr Rowlands said.
The flash flooding will impact farmers in their harvesting period.
The wet weather follows the announcement of a La Nina weather event in Australia, which will bring a cooler, wetter summer.
Adelaide will stay dry and warm into the weekend, with 21C forecast for Friday, 23C for Saturday, and 25C for Sunday.
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