Christmas cherry supplies could be wiped out by SA storms

With more then 100 requests for help during the wild weather, the SES have been busy dealing with flash flooding and fallen trees. And a Christmas favourite is also under threat.

The wild weather continues to wreak havoc across the state leaving homes flooded, trees down and farmers feeling the pinch ahead of the silly season.

SES state duty officer Brenton Clarke said 125 requests for help were received on Saturday across the state.

Of those, 58 were for fallen trees and 15 for flooding and flash-flooding incidents.

“The majority of those calls occurred in our southern areas as the rain swept through Adelaide (Saturday),” he said.

“There’s been no reported significant damage but there has been some damage to homes and fencing.”

“Across the state it was generally not too bad with the steady downpour throughout the day.”

Mr Clarke said there were 21 call-outs in the Eyre and York peninsulas and the Hills region.

Since midnight to 8am Sunday, there had been 13 call-outs across SA but none in the Eyre Peninsula region which is the area of concern amid ongoing wet weather.

The Bureau of Meteorology said heavier falls of 60-100mm were forecast for the Eyre Peninsula, with isolated heavier falls of up to 150mm possible.

Thunderstorms could follow into Monday, the BOM said.

“Our planning and focus is on the Eyre and York peninsulas,” Mr Clarke said.

“We’ve been able to organise strike teams from Adelaide to go to the Eyre Peninsula (Sunday).

“The crews are holding up very well.”

Mr Clarke said the SES was confident of managing the weather and call-outs with the current forecast of steady rain without high winds.

Denise Palmer of Semaphore Park in her flooded front yard. Picture: Russell Millard

WEATHER CAUSES CHERRIES TO SPLIT

Meanwhile, South Aussies could be facing the prospect of a Christmas without cherries, with local growers worried the recent weather conditions could wipe out their crops completely.

Sweltering heat combined with freezing conditions and heavy rainfall are causing cherry crops to split, leaving farmers with little produce to sell.

With just weeks left before Christmas, Tony Hannaford from Torrens Valley Orchards said there was “no doubt” there’d be less cherries on the market.

“We usually grow about 1500 tonnes of cherries which are sold in supermarkets across SA and WA,” Mr Hannaford said.

“There’s no doubt about it, there’ll be less cherries this year. These next two weeks will be absolutely critical.

“I can imagine a lot of growers will experience a very substantial loss economically too.”

Shoppers can expect to pay upwards of $16.50/kg for cherries in supermarkets across SA, with stalls advertising them way above that price in the Adelaide Central Market.

Cherries on sale for $30 per kilo in the Adelaide Central Markets. Picture: Supplied

Holiday fruit picking is also at risk, but growers are encouraging families not to turn away from the no-cosmetically damaged fruit.

“We’ve got about a week left until our crops are ripe, and 40 per cent of the fruit is already split,” Geoff Lucas from Cherries at Verdun said.

“But we’re keeping our fingers crossed the weather might be kinder from now on.”

Mr Lucas said it was possible some farmers won’t pick their crops at all.

Cherries are splitting ahead of Christmas. Picture: Facebook

Customers are urged to look past their cosmetic flaws. Picture: Facebook

Grain growers across the state who had already harvested ahead of the hot weather are welcoming the rain but Grain Producers chief executive Brad Perry said the downpour may create issues for others.

“While the rain will be welcome to grain producers who finished harvest early adding moisture to soil ahead of seeding in April, it is expected that any crop still to be harvested may no experience quality issues,” Mr Perry said.

“A majority of the South East and areas such as Strathalbyn still have plenty of cereals to harvest and this rain will not only frustratingly halt harvest for days but could also cause quality challenges.”

SA SES chief of staff Derren Halleday said crews had responded to more than 70 requests for help in the metropolitan area and the southern region on Saturday.

“The requests for assistance have been primarily for trees down and domestic flooding of houses and water coming through roofs,” he said.

The Bureau of Meteorology said lightning struck in the far southern regions. Picture: Paul White

The SES advises people to be cautious driving on wet roads and park their vehicles away from trees to avoid any falling branches.

As of 3pm Saturday, the CBD recorded 27mm of rain exceeding the December average of 25.9mm, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Senior meteorologist Simon Timcke said the showers would continue into Sunday as a rainband moves down from the northwest of the state towards Adelaide.

A Semaphore Park mother-of-two was greeted by water levels more than ankle deep at the front of her home on Saturday morning.

Denise Palmer said she feared the water levels on Dorset St would only rise if rain continued throughout the week.

“It brings in so much dirt into my house, and I try to clean it but my son is asthmatic so it impacts his health,“ Ms Palmer said.

“I just don’t know what to do about it because our elderly neighbour has actually slipped in the water twice and we’ve almost fallen in a couple of times too – and it’s even more scary when it gets dark outside.

“I just don’t know how to manage it with this rain.”

Originally published as Christmas cherry supplies could be wiped out by SA storms