Adelaide weather forecast for rest of August: Myponga Reservoir flows as record rains give way to a warm weekend

The Myponga Reservoir has turned into a makeshift waterfall after record rains – but we’re set to get a reprieve from all the wet weather this weekend. Watch the video.

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The Myponga Reservoir has opened its gates for the second time in five years as record rains sent water levels surging – but there is a wet weather reprieve on the way.

The imposing water release gates on the Fleurieu Peninsula – which stand at four metres tall – were opened on Wednesday evening, turning the dam into a makeshift waterfall.

Almost three billion litres of water have flowed into the reservoir since the start of August, lifting its capacity to 98 per cent.

The released overflow will travel down Myponga Creek.

The Barossa (94 per cent), Happy Valley (82 per cent) and Warren (102 per cent) reservoirs are all sitting above 80 per cent capacity as of 25 August, but the state’s total reservoir levels remain six per cent lower than the same time last year.

Kangaroo Creek and Little Para reservoirs both remain below 50 per cent capacity despite solid rainfalls.

For the second time in five years, one of Myponga Reservoir’s water release gates have been opened. Picture: SA Water

A wet and wintry August delivered a surge of natural inflows to the Fleurieu storage. Picture: SA Water

ADELAIDE WEATHER FORECAST

Adelaide has been hit by a wet and wild winter, with the city lashed by a soaking on Monday.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said Adelaide had received 77mm of rain for the month by August 23 – beating the month’s average of 61.3mm a week early.

It’s the wettest August for Adelaide in four years, after the city received 76.8mm in 2018.

More showers are on the way for Thursday, with notable falls by 9am at Mt Gambier (14mm), Point Avoid (10mm), Parndana (9mm) and Stenhouse Bay (9mm).

But it’s set to be clear skies and warmer temperatures by the weekend, with a partly cloudy maximum of 18C in Adelaide on Saturday and a sunny 21C on Sunday.

Here’s the full seven-day forecast as we close out winter:

Friday 26 August: cloudy - min 7C, max 16C

Saturday 27 August: partly cloudy - min 10C, max 18C

Sunday 28 August: sunny - min 11C, max 21C

Monday 29 August: showers - min 9C, max 15C

Tuesday 30 August: partly cloudy - min 8C, max 15C

Wednesday 31 August: possible shower - min 7C, max 17C