A much-needed burst of wet weather will sweep across the southern half of SA during the next two days, although the useful showers will be accompanied by blustery winds and a wintry chill.

Large parts of SA’s agricultural areas just had their driest February to May period on record thanks to a persistent pattern of high pressure to the south of Australia blocking the passage of rain-bearing systems.

Adelaide only received 25.4 mm during all of autumn, making it the city’s second driest autumn in 186 years of records. The only drier autumn in this lengthy history was 23 mm in 2005.

Fortunately for the many parched paddocks, vineyards and gardens across SA, the dry weather pattern has relented, and a rain-bearing low pressure system and cold front have arrived on the state’s doorstep.

Showers started moving over the West Coast on Wednesday morning before spreading across the Eyre Peninsula in the middle of the day with the passage of the cold front. These showers will continue moving east and affect Adelaide from Wednesday afternoon and the state’s southeast into the evening.

A strengthening low pressure system will then approach SA from the Bight on Wednesday night, causing blustery wind, rain and thunderstorms in parts of the West Coast and Lower Eyre Peninsula on Wednesday night into Thursday morning. A severe weather warning has been issued for damaging winds in parts of both districts. Further showers will also affect other southern areas in SA on Thursday, including Adelaide.

Image: Forecast accumulated rain during the 48 hours ending at 9:30pm ACST on Thursday, June 20, 2024.

This system is likely to produce widespread two-day rainfall totals of 5 to 10 mm across southern areas of SA, including Adelaide, with isolated totals of 15 to 30 mm. Following such a dry autumn, this will be the best rain in a few months for some places.