Traffic chaos across Adelaide as heavy rain, hail smashes South Australia

Commuters across Adelaide had a slow peak-hour run as heavy rain and hail led to flooding, with rush hour traffic grinding to a halt.

Traffic in Adelaide’s south ground to a halt on Tuesday evening after the city was lashed with heavy rain and winds.

Commuters warned other road users of the delays through social media, as the estimated time to travel between Lonsdale and Seaford on the southern expressway ballooned to 55 minutes, about 5:45pm.
At 5pm, the City of Onkaparinga announced Saltfleet Street Bridge at Port Noarlunga had been closed to traffic, due to flooding. The council urged commuters to avoid the area.

It’s the second time in the past month Saltfleet St has been swamped by water.

Saltfleet Street bridge at Port Noarlunga has been closed to traffic due to flooding resulting from today’s storm event and king tides. Picture: City of Onkaparinga

It comes after traffic was kept to a standstill in the Hills on Tuesday morning as hail, heavy showers and ice blanketed the roads.

Police received reports of heavy rain, intermittent hail, trees down and ice on the roads on Tuesday morning in the Hills near Mount Barker.

Traffic heading to the city was gridlocked with visibility poor and heavy rain smashing the South Eastern Freeway.

A three-car crash just before 6.30am caused further traffic problems on the outbound track near the Heysen Tunnels.

Traffic heading to the city was gridlocked with visibility poor and heavy rain smashing the South Eastern Freeway.

Police have received reports of heavy rain, intermittent hail, trees down and ice on the roads on Tuesday morning in the Hills near Mount Barker.

Throughout the day, the SES responded to multiple weather events in the Hills causing traffic hazards.

It comes as a lower pressure system drifting across the state brings gusty showers coming in waves across Adelaide and eastern areas of the state

Wild winds have prompted warnings for residents to act to avoid damage.

On Monday, rain hit areas of the West Coast and the York and Eyre peninsulas with 22mm at Wudinna, 19mm at Port Lincoln and 28.8mm recorded at Cape Borda on Kangaroo Island.

The system is set to drift across the Adelaide metropolitan area and into the east of the state on Tuesday with Adelaide bracing for up to 25mm of rainfall with damaging winds possible.

Originally published as Traffic chaos across Adelaide as heavy rain, hail smashes South Australia