The past two days have seen a variety of effects of gusty easterly winds across South Australia, bending and breaking trees, blowing rain onto dusty east-facing windows and tilting goalposts in the other direction. Where it hasn't been raining so much, desert sand dunes have been reshaped, frustrating wildlife. 

When this month began, winds were blowing from the south which is not unusual at this time of year, due to a high centred over the Bight. Since then, the high has edged to Tasmania and a trough has developed over the interior, creating an unusual pattern. This weather pattern (an unstable trough forming in the north and a stable high in the south) is more typical in summer than in winter.

Image: Today’s isobars, wind barbs (indicating easterly-component winds), satellite, radar, lightning and rainfall observations – all atypical for this time of year.

On the same day last year, it was also windy but in the more winter-like westerlies which brought widespread showers and some small hail to the state's south.

Image: Isobars, wind barbs (indicating westerly-component winds), satellite, radar, lightning and rainfall observations from this time last year – all typical for this time of year 

These recent easterlies have been fairly strong, helping generate valuable wind power.

Wind strength alone has not been out of the ordinary, but the strength of this direction has.

Easterly wind gusts have been the strongest recorded in -

• 13 years at Port Augusta (80 km/h-gusting easterly),
• at least 9 years at Port Pirie (85 km/h)
• 7 years at Whyalla (57 km/h)
• 21 months at Roseworthy (59 km/h) and Clare (50 km/h)
• 18 months at Sellicks Hill (67 km/h), Roxby Downs (50 km/h) and Marree (61 km/h)
• 17 months at Adelaide's Outer Harbor (52 km/h)
• 16 months at Snowtown (56 km/h)
• 6-7 months in Kadina (59 km/h), Cummins (54 km/h), Moonta (52 km/h) and Adelaide's Noarlunga (69 km/h), Airport (61 km/h), Parafield (61 km/h) and Elizabeth (50km/h)

 These winds have also been creating tricky conditions in the state's footy games, particularly in the northern leagues. Players have been adjusting, especially when kicking for goal, aiming to the right when kicking to the northern end. Players also have had trouble keeping the ball in play when kicking along the clubroom and grandstand side (grandstands are usually on the western side to shelter from the afternoon sun). Supporters also must adjust, being mostly on the grandstand or clubroom side, sauce falling from pies has a higher chance of landing on shirts. Expect a lot of behinds (rather than goals) and saucy shirts this weekend.