Wild winds, heavy fog: SA’s double weather whammy explained

Thousands were without power after winds exceeding 100km/h lashed the state. Then, a low-hanging fog resulted in chaos at Adelaide Airport. So what’s caused our wild weather?

First it was wild winds, then it was heavy fog; Adelaide has been battered by extreme weather this week.

But according to a senior metrologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, it’s all par for the course when it comes to spring weather.

“Spring is when we see the most changeable weather,” Simon Timcke told The Advertiser.

“You can get cold days, you can get hot days.

“It’s the hardest time to forecast the weather.”

Mr Timcke said yesterday’s fog, which blanketed Adelaide and caused international flights to be delayed, was “unusual” in that it covered a large area and lasted well into the morning.

And while he said we’ve had more foggy mornings than usual lately, there wasn’t a particular reason behind it.

“On average, we would have about four foggy mornings a year – but that’s just an average” he said.

“And some of these fogs have been more noticeable. We did have three days of fog in a row recently.

“So it could seem unusual, but overall I couldn’t say there’s a particular reason for having more fog.”

Similarly, Mr Timcke said last weekend’s wild winds that battered the state with gusts of more than 100 km/h – while severe – were not unexpected during spring.

“Spring is when we see those things.

“The land starts to heat up and that helps cold fronts to intensify.”

Looking ahead, there is an increased chance of unusually warm days and nights for most areas across the nation, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

There is a prediction of “above median” rainfall in Adelaide for the rest of the month.

The forecast for the remainder of Sunday is for showers increasing as we will climb to a top of 18C.

Similarly, on Monday temperatures will reach a top of 18C as showers ease.