The severe weather warnings issued by the Bureau of Meteorology emerging from the fallout of ex-Tropical Cyclone Tiffany and other high-pressure systems will see polarising patterns and predictions hit multiple parts of South Australia this weekend.
The Bureau of Meteorology and SA’s SES are holding a press conference this afternoon, covered by Channel 7, to discuss the weather, thunderstorm and fire warnings for areas like the Mid North, Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula and Lower South East of the state. Glam Adelaide will report the conference later today.
Severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and heavy rainfall warnings have been for the North West and North East Pastoral districts in SA, as the storm develops in Oodnadatta and Marlee. The warning states the severe thunderstorms may cause flash flooding, with residents advised by the SES to move cars from underneath trees and to stay inside.
The news comes as flood warnings remain in place for the Mid North, Flinders Ranges, West Coast, Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula and parts of the North West and East Pastoral districts.
Flooding in the Mid North, Flinders Ranges, West Coast, Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula and parts of the North West and East Pastoral districts is expected to hit today, Friday, January 21, with Streaky Bay already recording upwards of 78mm rainfall in the last 24 hours. BOM predicts between 60-120mm of rain will fall across a three-day period until Sunday.
The tropical deluge has been reported to drench parts of SA with a season worth of rain in a mere few days.
The fire warning also remains in place for the Lower South East of the state, with hot and windy weather predicted and a bushfire sparked near Lucindale continues to blaze.
The SA CFS issued several warnings last night that the bushfire at Coles, Callendale and Elad Roads was burning out of control, moving past the control lines set by firefighters. The CFS has now been downgraded the fire to ‘yellow’ – monitor conditions – for those in the affected area near Lucindale. Weather is unpredictable. Remain up to date with the latest CFS warnings and updates here.
BOM’s warning predicts hot, dry and windy weather, with northeasterly winds between 25-40km/h before gradually shifting to 20-35 km/h sea breezes in the afternoon. The fire danger warning for the Lower South East region is severe for Friday, January 21.
This is the third day that South Australia has seen wild weather warnings issued.
“The weather in SA has been dominated by a high-pressure system, now southwest of Tasmania which will continue to move east,” said BOM Meteorologist Hannah Marsh.
“We have a surface trough in the west, which will interact with an upper-level system to deepen the surface trough over the next few days. This system is particularly slow-moving.
“The resultant weather will shift from hot conditions, with severe fire danger for the Lower Eyre Peninsula and Mount Lofty Ranges today, and for the Lower South East today and tomorrow, towards an unstable period of showers and possibly thunderstorms.”
Stay up to date with wild weather warnings issued by BOM here.