SA blackout, state cops power outages amid wild storms

Jay Weatherill warns of flash flooding and further damage after 80,000 lightning strikes blacked out the state.

A lone policeman controlling traffic in Adelaide. Picture: Matt Turner

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill late tonight said at least 22 electricity towers had been brought down by severe weather, as 80,000 lightning strikes hit the state and damaged a range of power infrastructure including generators and high-voltage transmission lines.

“All of this has combined to bring our system down,” he said.

Nineteen people were rescued after being stuck in lifts in buildings across Adelaide.

The Premier expected most power to be restored to metropolitan areas by the morning and trains to be returning to service, with most schools opened.

He said there were no reports of death or serious injury, but cautioned the state was not yet through the worst of the storm, with extreme winds forecast overnight and more heavy rain and wind gusts forecast that could cause flash flooding and further damage and disruption on Thursday.

SA Premier Jay Weatherill with police commissioner Grant Stevens. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

The Premier said any state would be vulnerable to widespread loss of power given the weather conditions and insisted the system had responded as it was designed to under such circumstances.

“This was a weather event not a renewable energy event ... lightning strikes and wind surges caused this,” he said.

“Right now we are in the middle of it and preparing people for the next episode.”

South Australian Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said the state was angry and demanded clear answers from the Premier.

“South Australians are angry and so am I,” Mr Marshall said. “It’s outrageous that the state Labor government thinks it’s okay for 1.7 million people to lose power when a couple of power lines go down.”

But the Premier said it was “unpleasant” for the opposition to be seeking to score political points at this time.

SA Power Networks has reported outages to about 200,000 customers with services to be progressively restored, first in Adelaide and then country towns.

The Education Department said schools and preschools will open tomorrow if power is available and it is safe to do so.

The lights were out at the Intercontinental in Adelaide. Picture: Keryn Stevens

A spokesman for the Australian Energy Market Operator described the shut down of the state’s electricity as the triggering of “a safety switch on a large scale”.

The system was designed to shut down with a change in the frequency of power supply or voltage, which had happened yesterday afternoon after transmission lines and towers went offline from lightning and hail.

Because of this, all generators in the state were shut down.

Power was being directed to the generators from Victoria via the Heywood interconnector last night to restart generators in the first instance, with South Australia’s power network supplier then responsible for slowly rolling out power supply across the state, he said.

“There was a lot of load coming from Victoria at the time,” he said.

“It’s hard to know how long it will take to get it back - there is severe damage to infrastructure, with wires down in the north of the state.”

With generators re-starting and power out across the state, the price of electricity last night rose to $2000/MWh, compared to Victoria’s to $25/MWh.

With the worst of the storm cell still yet to pass over the city, Adelaide Town Hall was opened to people stranded and unable to return home.

Federal government asks questions

Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg has questioned the stability of the South Australian electricity grid following a state-wide power blackout in the midst of a major storm.

But Mr Weatherill denies the outage has anything to do with the state’s reliance on intermittent renewable energy and the recent closure of its last coal-fired power station.

More than one million homes are without power and the hospitals across the state are operating on back-up power after the state lost electricity about 4pm.

A view of the blackout from Main South Road. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

Mr Frydenberg says the state-wide blackout is “clearly not adequate” and wants to convene a meeting of the COAG energy council to make sure it never happens again.

“The ramifications are huge for so many people involved,” he told ABC Television on Wednesday evening.

The outage is understood to have been caused when the storm knocked out transmission towers, cutting the frequency to the system.

Mr Weatherill says that tripped the system, which shut down and severed interconnection with the Victorian electricity grid - South Australia’s only connection to the national electricity grid.

South Australia relies on renewables - mainly wind power - for more than 40 per cent of its power.

But the premier insists that isn’t the cause of the outage and says the same “dramatic event” would have shorted any system in the world. “This is the system protecting itself,” he said, adding it had nothing to do with the May closure of Port Augusta’s coal-fired power station. “For people to be saying those things without being appraised of all the facts shows people are using this to play politics.”

Mr Frydenberg said the system’s stability must be questioned after the outage, but cautioned that the underlying cause was the storm.

South Australian Opposition Leader Steven Marshall last night said the state was angry and demanded clear answers from the Premier.

“South Australians are angry and so am I,” Mr Marshall said. “It’s outrageous that the state Labor government thinks it’s okay for 1.7 million people to lose power when a couple of power lines go down.”

Weatherill under pressure

Mr Weatherill faces some uncomfortable questions after the total state blackout.

Power was restored to some parts of Adelaide in the evening after severe weather cut it to all of SA and threatened to blackout parts of the state overnight.

The Advertiser was reporting tonight that power had been restored to the eastern suburbs and other suburbs across Adelaide, city, including Aberfoyle Park, Cherry Gardens, Payneham South, College Park, Aldinga, Elizabeth East.

The scene in Victoria Square, Adelaide. Picture: Emma Brasier

The state was plunged into darkness by severe weather damage to energy infrastructure which forced a shutdown of the entire electricity network.

High winds are being blamed for bringing down transmission lines and a lightning strike for taking out a sub station near Port Augusta this afternoon.

Authorities warn it could be well into Thursday before full power is restored. Hospitals and other emergency services are still operating using back-up generators and can continue to for at least 72 hours.

The state’s energy generation assets remain intact and its interconnector with Victoria is operational.

Tmrw's @theTiser special #sablackout edition pg1 as #Adelaidestorm triggers chaos #sastorm #SouthAustralia pic.twitter.com/UZBnRExKgf

— Andrew Hough (@andrew_hough) September 28, 2016

An incident involving infrastructure near Port Augusta, about 320km north of Adelaide, at 3.48pm today prompted the failure of the entire SA network, Mr Weatherill says.

The premier says the state’s energy generation assets remain intact and there does not appear to be any damage to the interconnector with Victoria.

The Australian energy market operator has taken control of the system and restoration has begun.

But Mr Weatherill says that could take several hours.

SA Senator Nick Xenophon has called for an inquiry into the blackout, labelling it a “disgrace”.

According to the SA Power Networks website about 200,000 properties were without power.

If you rely on power supply for medical equipment be prepared to action your back up plan.

— SA Power Networks (@SAPowerNetworks) September 28, 2016

Mr Weatherill said the system worked as it was designed to and rejected suggestions it was the result of SA’s high use of wind power or the decision to shutdown coal-fired power stations in the mid north.

“What happens is the system protects itself by tripping all the generators in the system and also by severing the interconnector with Victoria,” he told reporters.

“It then triggers a protocol about how we bring it back up. There are a series of back-up generators which gradually re-power the system.

“Once the system is balanced then power is restored.

“But the number of hours this may take is something that we don’t know. “This would happen to any system anywhere in the world if they had a similar circumstance.”

The statewide blackout prompted police to urge people to stay off the roads with officers dispatched to direct gridlocked traffic at major intersections during the afternoon peak hour.

There were reports of a number of accidents and all suburban trains were cancelled.

Anyone know when the power's coming back on?
Asking for a friend. I'm absolutely not sitting at a petrol station on empty.#AdelaideStorm

— Hilltop Hoods (@hilltophoods) September 28, 2016

Where's those wind turbines when you need them? #sablackout

— Michael Owen (@mjowen) September 28, 2016

Power outages affecting all of SA. May be outages for an extended period. More to come. Stay tuned to ABC891 on battery operated radio.

— JayWeatherill (@JayWeatherill) September 28, 2016

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said there were also reports of some people stuck in lifts.

As the drama continued the SA Power Networks website listed about 200,000 properties without power.

The blackout came as strong winds and heavy rain lashed parts of SA with the Bureau of Meteorology warning at one stage that super cell thunderstorms were possible across a wide area, including Adelaide.

It said the storms could produce wind gusts up to 140km/h along with heavy rain that could cause flash flooding.

The extreme weather reached the city about midday and was expected to dump up to 100mm of rain in some areas, including the Adelaide Hills, where a flood warning was in place.

Similar falls were possible in the mid north across Wednesday night and Thursday with the cyclonic conditions expected to whip up large swells along the state’s coast, producing 10m waves.

SA Premier Jay Weatherill talks to the media today. Picture: Emma Brasier

The State Emergency Service had responded to more than 450 calls for help, most because of fallen trees or rising water.

It earlier distributed more than 43,000 sandbags to residents concerned about flooding after severe weather just two weeks ago inundated 80 homes across Adelaide and the Mt Lofty Ranges.

The bureau said the wild weather was the result of a front and intense low- pressure system.

It said records suggested such a severe system was last reported across SA more than 50 years ago.

Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said it appeared the severe weather events had “impacted upon the interconnector”.

“This has had a flow-on effect,” he told Sky News.

“Clearly questions will be raised — serious questions will be raised that need to be answered as to how this extreme weather event could take out the whole of the electricity supply across a major state such as South Australia.

“I’ll be asking all of those very hard questions and no doubt my South Australian colleagues will as well because we cannot see a repeat of these events in South Australia or in other parts of the network because of the implications that it has for the community.”

There was no immediate information on the exact cause of the blackout which resulted in gridlock on many of Adelaide’s CDB and arterial roads.

Police dispatched patrols to regulate traffic at major intersections. The blackout came as strong winds and heavy rain lashed parts of SA with the Bureau of Meteorology warning super cell thunderstorms were possible across the central and mid-north districts.

The bureau issued a severe thunderstorm warning for an area stretching from Victor Harbor, south of Adelaide, to Marree.

The darkened scene at Adelaide Airport. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

It said super cells within those storms could produce wind gusts of up to 140km/h along with heavy rain that could cause flash flooding. The major centres to feel the impact of the storms included Adelaide, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Hawker, Port Pirie, Clare, Roxby Downs and Leigh Creek.

The extreme weather reached the city around midday and was expected to dump up to 100mm of rain in some areas, including the Adelaide Hills, where a flood warning was in place.

Similar falls were possible in the mid-north with the cyclonic conditions expected to whip up large swells along the state’s coastal waters, producing 10-metre waves.

Traffic gridlock in Adelaide’s CBD. Picture: SA SES Twitter

By late afternoon the State Emergency Service had responded to more than 270 calls for help, most because of fallen trees or rising water. It earlier distributed more than 43,000 sandbags to local residents concerned about possible flooding after severe weather just two weeks ago flooded 80 homes across Adelaide and the Mt Lofty Ranges.

The bureau said the wild weather was the result of a front and intense low- pressure system.

It said records suggest such a severe system was last reported across SA more than 50 years ago.

Super storm heads east

A severe weather warning is in place for parts of Tasmania with heavy rain and strong winds expected to lash the state as a front moves through from South Australia.

The Bureau of Meteorology warns of rainfall up to 100mm in elevated areas and winds of 90km/h for north and eastern centres starting on Thursday and stretching through to Friday.

“The trough is expected to cross King Island in the morning, the north coast around midday, then reach roughly Orford to Melaleuca around midnight,” the Bureau website reported.

South Australia cops brunt

The storm hits Woomera, South Australia. Picture: SA CFS/Twitter

Almost 4000 South Australian properties are without power as an extreme weather system moves across the state.

The Eyre Peninsula has been hardest hit so far with reports of wind gusts in excess of 80km/h and heavy rain as a front and intense low pressure system continue to track eastwards.

The storm reached Adelaide by midday on Wednesday and was expected to dump up to 100mm of rain in some areas, including the Adelaide Hills, where a flood warning was in place.

The Bureau of Meteorology expected the worst of the winds to hit the state’s mid-north.

The cyclonic conditions were also expected to whip up large swells along the states coastal waters, producing 10-metre waves.

State cabinet’s emergency management met on Wednesday to ensure the appropriate response from emergency authorities.

So far the State Emergency Service has responded to more than 50 calls for help but believes that will rise dramatically.

Senior meteorologist John Nairn said records suggested South Australia had not experienced a storm so severe for more than half a century.

“This depth of the low, this close to the coast, is very damaging,” he said. “It’s a very significant event for South Australia. It’s very rare.”

Storm strikes first blow

The Eyre Peninsula has already been hit as the rest of South Australia and northern Victoria brace for one of the most extreme weather systems to hit in recent decades.

The storm hit by 10.00am, bringing thunderstorms and heavy rain, which were expected to lash large parts of SA and Victoria from midday Wednesday and into Thursday.

The storm caused flooding in Whyalla after one hour of rain and winds were also picking up with gusts of more than 65km/h at several parts of the west coast.

Winds strengths not seen in more than 50 years are predicted, particularly in coastal areas, while up to 100 millimetres of rain is forecast for the Adelaide Hills.

WATCH OUR SEVERE WEATHER VIDEO: information about Wednesday and Thursday. For SA Severe Weather Warnings:- https://t.co/5wxFrWwdlM https://t.co/RfmP8ZOUNz

— BOM South Australia (@BOM_SA) September 27, 2016

These winds should average about 90km/h at their peak, whipping up ocean waves of more than 10 metres.

Residents in waterlogged Northern Victoria have also been warned of more landslides and flooded rivers as heavy rain sets in.

Rain on the way, with strong winds and thunderstorms #VicWeather Check https://t.co/SQAiA9YDeQ for the latest forecasts and warnings. pic.twitter.com/m9VbwR2NfG

— BOM Victoria (@BOM_Vic) September 27, 2016

Between 20 and 40 millimetres of rain is expected to be dumped in the northwest, 40 to 60 millimetres in the southwest and 50 to 100 millimetres in the northeastern parts of the state

“Most of the west and central parts of the state will see rainfall and that will continue into Thursday,” Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Beren Bradshaw.

“There’s a good chance that we will see renewed stream rises,” Ms Bradshaw said. Residents have been warned to watch out for heavy rain leading to flash flooding across the Mallee and Wimmera districts, with rainfall totals of 10mm to 25mm likely.

Rain on the way, with strong winds and thunderstorms #VicWeather Check https://t.co/SQAiA9YDeQ for the latest forecasts and warnings. pic.twitter.com/m9VbwR2NfG

— BOM Victoria (@BOM_Vic) September 27, 2016

The storm comes from an unusually deep low pressure system forecast to move up over Kangaroo Island and into the Adelaide area on Wednesday evening.

State cabinet’s emergency management council is also meeting to consider what action will be required as the storm hits and during the clean-up. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for the state’s west coast and large parts of the Eyre Peninsula and that warning was expected to move east during the day.

A flood watch is also in place for the Adelaide Hills.

“This depth of low, this close to the coast, is very damaging,” the Bureau of Metereology SA’s director John Nairn said.

Path of the storm

“It’s a very significant event for South Australia. It’s very rare.”

The last time the state experienced such extreme weather was in 1964 and before that, in 1948.

State Emergency Services have distributed scores of sand bags across both metropolitan and regional areas in preparation for likely flooding.

SES chief officer Chris Beattie said power lines will undoubtedly fall and there may be long outages for homes and businesses.

The Insurance Council of Australia has declared major flooding around Forbes in central NSW a catastrophe with damage expected to cost insurers tens of millions of dollars.

ICA chief executive Rob Whelan said the industry body’s preliminary assessment indicated the bill will be high.

“Early reports indicate the region has suffered extensive crop losses, while about 100 businesses and homes may also have been affected by flooding,” he said.

“Several insurers have already begun setting up disaster response teams in the Forbes region to assist their policyholders.”

The storm moves in.

Hundreds of Forbes residents were evacuated on Sunday and it is not yet known when they will be able to return to their homes. The SES has received about 2,900 calls for help since the rain began on August 30.

The weather bureau has forecast more rain will hit Forbes from Wednesday through to Friday, while a second, higher peak in the Lachlan River is expected next week near Condobolin and Euabalong.

On Monday, Premier Mike Baird announced that former NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Owens will lead the clean-up and recovery effort for the region.

Mr Whelan said the catastrophe declaration allows insurers access to the industry’s disaster response resources, which include a taskforce to address any issues, a disaster hotline, and the mobilisation of ICA staff to work directly with local services and affected policyholders.

He said the insurance losses would likely be in “the tens of millions of dollars”, although the full extent of losses will not be known for several weeks.

Insurers earlier this year received tens of thousands of claims following severe east coast storms in June.

Insurance companies, including IAG and Suncorp, received more than 32,000 claims across Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania at the time, with the costs estimated at more than $235 million.

Additional reporting: AAP