Storms as summer rain bomb on the way for South Australia

The loud cracks of thunder have started with lightning and rain hitting SA. But the muggy heat is set to hang around.

The wet start to summer is set to continue in Adelaide with forecasts predicting the rain and thunderstorms to return this weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a very high chance of up to 10mm of rain and thunderstorm with maximum temperatures reaching 29C on Saturday.

On Sunday, the Bureau expects rain of up to 9mm and thunderstorms with maximum temperatures topping 27C in Adelaide.

Weekend rain is forecast for most of the state on Saturday, with up to 25mm of rainfall expected in Port Lincoln and 15mm tipped for Port Augusta, Murray Bridge and Mount Barker.

Five Minutes of lightning strikes over Adelaide captured in one image on December 28, 2023. Picture: Matt Orr, Straya Photography

The rain is predicted to hit the South-East the hardest on Sunday, with up to 25mm forecast for Mount Gambier and Bordertown.

Temperatures are expected to stay high on Saturday despite the rain, with 29C tipped for Mount Barker, 34C for Bordertown and the over 30C in the far north of the state.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Jon Fischer told The Advertiser while December 2023 was the “coolest” December since 2008, a moderate heatwave was due to pass through the state at the end of this week.

He said there would be higher lightning activity than usual but, despite the increase, he was not overly concerned that there would be severe bushfire danger conditions.

“There’s no really strong signals one way or the other for the state over the next couple of months,” he said.

“I think what we can expect is just typical summer conditions which do have periods of some fire risk.”

The Bureau issued an advice message to Horticulturalists and viticulturalists in the Mount Lofty Ranges, Mid North, Riverland, Murraylands, Upper South East and Lower South East.

They advised that conditions across the weekend are “conducive to an outbreak of downy mildew.”

Originally published as Storms as summer rain bomb on the way for South Australia