South Australia weather: Easter rain nowhere near average

The rain over the Easter long weekend was only enough to settle the dust for SA farmers. But don’t put your brollies away yet as the Bureau is predicting the wet stuff will return.

The rain over the Easter long weekend was only enough to settle the dust for South Australian farmers, according to Grain Producer SA CEO Brad Perry.

“We really need soaking rains,” Mr Perry told The Advertiser.

Farmers at a recent roundtable with Premier Peter Malinauskas were told by primary industry experts that the state needed a heavy soak of either 30mm of rain in seven days or 25mm in a four-day period to have enough breaking rain to sow grain.

“It’s pretty patchy right across the state and some of the really dry areas across the state only had one of two millimetres, areas like Peterborough in the mid-North region seemed to miss out,” Mr Perry said.

Mr Perry said many farmers had already started dry sowing and were hoping for the best with upcoming rains but it was looking like “a late start to the season”.

Grain Producers SA GPSA CEO Brad Perry. Picture: GPSA

A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson told The Advertiser that Adelaide received eight millimetres of rain in the past 24 hours bringing the year-to-date rainfall to 23.3mm.

“This is still well below the average January to April rainfall of 107mm,” they said.

They said generally, falls of one to 10mm were recorded in most places, with the Adelaide Hills and parts of the Mid North and Lower South East districts recording 15-25mm over the entire weekend.

“Rainfall occurred over much of South Australia’s agricultural areas at the weekend,” they said.

Rain clouds over the city from Adelaide airport. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Martin

On Saturday most of the rainfall occurred over the Mid North with heavier showers in the afternoon.

“Heavier falls occurred about (sic) the Adelaide Hills and the Lower South East on Sunday,” they said.

“In total, our Bureau rain gauges in these areas recorded about 15-25mm over the weekend.

“Isolated locations possibly received higher falls.”

The Bureau spokesperson said showers are expected to ease and clear over the next couple of days “as a high-pressure system moves in from the west bringing more stable conditions to the state”.

“There is another change due through later in the week that could potentially bring a few more showers to agricultural areas,” they said.

Anzac Day will see likely see rain in Adelaide. Picture: File

On Easter Monday, Adelaide is expected to reach a high of 20 degrees with a 40 per cent chance of rainfall.

Tuesday will see a partly cloudy day with a low of 12 degrees and a high of 21, Wednesday is looking to be sunny with a low of 10 degrees and a high of 23 while Thursday is predicted to be mostly sunny with a low of 12 and a high of 25 degrees.

Anzac Day weather will see a turn in Adelaide with a 70 per cent chance of rain, minimum temperatures of 14 degrees and a high of 22 degrees.

The upcoming weekend will see a partly cloudy sky on Saturday and a high of 21 and possible showers on Sunday and a high of 21.