Severe Weather Warning: Heavy and Intense Rainfall Forecast for South Australia
A high-priority severe weather warning is in effect for parts of South Australia as heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding threaten eastern districts through Monday morning.
Alert Details
The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a top-priority Severe Weather Warning for heavy and locally intense rainfall. The warning is currently in effect for several districts across South Australia as a low-pressure system and a humid tropical airmass interact with a trough over the region.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following forecast districts:
- Flinders
- Mid North
- Riverland
- Murraylands
- Upper South East
- Parts of Mount Lofty Ranges, Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Lower South East, North West Pastoral, North East Pastoral, and Yorke Peninsula.
Specific locations that may be affected include Whyalla, Renmark, Port Augusta, Port Pirie, Clare, and Murray Bridge. Note that warnings for the Adelaide Metropolitan, West Coast, Lower Eyre Peninsula, and Kangaroo Island districts have been cancelled as severe weather is no longer occurring in those areas.
What You Should Do
The State Emergency Service (SES) advises residents to take the following precautions:
- Do not drive, ride, or walk through flood water.
- Keep clear of creeks and storm drains.
- Stay indoors and away from windows while conditions are severe.
Expected Conditions
Heavy rainfall is expected to lead to flash flooding. Six-hourly rainfall totals between 35 and 55 mm are likely across the warning area.
Locally intense rainfall, which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, is possible with thunderstorms. This is most likely in the eastern Flinders, eastern Mid North, southern North East Pastoral, and Riverland forecast districts. In these areas, six-hourly rainfall totals between 70 and 100 mm are possible. Recent observations include 43 mm at Loxton in 3 hours and 58.4 mm at Yunta in 6 hours.
Timeline
The risk of heavy rainfall is expected to persist through Sunday, March 1, 2026, gradually clearing from the west and easing into Monday morning. The Bureau of Meteorology will issue the next update by 5:00 pm ACDT Sunday.
Source: BOM Official Notice