Adelaide Christmas weather forecast looks just fine

This weekend’s weather may have been a little unpredictable but forecasters are predicting smooth sailing for the big day.

It’s looking fine for Christmas Day right across South Australia.

While Adelaide is expecting a maximum of 30C, the Bureau of Meteorology says it will be a hot to very hot day inland but mild along the coast.

Senior forecaster Hannah Marsh said 30C was “looking pretty right at this stage and it should be good for barbecues and swims”.

Adelaide winds are expected to be light to moderate, south to south-easterly.

Around the state, Renmark is tipped to hit 36C, Moomba 41C and Port Augusta 33C, while Mt Gambier should be 23C, Port Lincoln 24C and Kingscote 25C on Christmas Day.

There is a 50 per cent chance of showers in Adelaide on Sunday but that will be the last rain until after Christmas.

Santa and his Elves fly in to meet Grange nipper Grace, Charlotte, Erin, Lexie, Jake and Isla. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

There is a slight chance of a drop in the Far West of the state when Santa flies in on Christmas Eve.

Perhaps drawn by the more than 100,000 lightning strikes across the state on Friday night, the man in red made an early visit to Adelaide, dropping in by helicopter to Grange Beach to find out if some local nippers had any last-minute wishes for what they hope to find in their stockings on Christmas morning.

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“I gave the reindeer the day off before our main event next week,” Santa said. “It was magical to drop in and visit the nippers at Grange Surf Life Saving Club.”

The weather bureau said the height of the cloud band created great views of the lightning on Friday night but meant it generated little rainfall.

Lightning over Brighton on Friday night. Photo: Paul Cavanagh

Lightning over Semaphore. Photo Tristan Willes

hunderstorm over Port Elliot. Photo: Fernando Diaz / @fdo_photos.

“We only recorded about 0.2mm in some places around Adelaide,” senior forecaster Simon Timcke said. “It was only really a few spots here and there, enough to dampen the ground but not enough to record on most rainfall meters.”

The lightning strikes created a busy night for fire fighters, with grass fires in the Mid North and Kangaroo Island.

A bushfire near Cummins on the Eyre Peninsula briefly threatened residents on Saturday afternoon but warnings were soon downgraded.

Shaw and Partners helped arrange Santa’s visit to Adelaide on Saturday.