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🇦🇺 Australia /Disasters & Emergencies

Adelaide Rainfall Exceeds July Average in One Day, Bringing Relief to Farmers

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Adelaide received 70% of its average July rainfall in a single day, with some areas experiencing over 60mm of rain.
  • The heavy downpour caused localized flooding, leading to over 180 calls for assistance to the State Emergency Services.
  • Farmers, particularly in the Loxton region, are celebrating the significant rainfall after several dry years, with one farmer noting 228.5 reasons to be optimistic.

Adelaide experienced a significant weather event, with the metropolitan area receiving 70% of its average July rainfall in just one day. Senior forecaster Tom Anderson reported that 42 millimeters of rain fell in the past 24 hours across the city, while areas like Longwood and Scott Creek in the Adelaide Hills recorded over 60mm.

We've also already had 70 per cent of the median rainfall for July [in Adelaide] in one day.

— Tom AndersonBureau of Meteorology senior forecaster describing the intensity of the rainfall.

The deluge led to localized flooding, particularly around the Mount Lofty Ranges and coastal areas. The State Emergency Services (SES) responded to more than 180 calls for help, primarily due to overwhelmed gutters causing water to enter homes. Cracked tiles, blocked drains, and flooded lanes, including on James Congdon Drive near the SA Athletics Stadium, were reported.

Especially with the quantity of rain we received, the gutters on houses just could not cope, so we had a lot of jobs where we had some water coming back inside the houses.

— Craig BrassingtonState Emergency Services SA state duty officer detailing the types of calls received.

Despite the disruption, the rainfall has been a cause for celebration among the region's farmers, who have endured several dry years. Fourth-generation farmer Tom Fielke, from near Loxton in the Riverland, expressed his optimism, stating he has "228.5 reasons to smile." His farm has already received over 200mm this year, a stark contrast to the 22mm received by this time last year.

Everyone certainly has much more of a spring in their step and even a lot of people have been saying to me, 'oh, you're smiling a lot more these days'.

— Tom FielkeA fourth-generation farmer expressing his joy and optimism due to the rain.

Fielke hopes this trend continues, leading to a good harvest that will help farmers recover financial losses from previous years, including payments for land and machinery costs. He noted that many farmers in his area have not broken even in the last two years. Similarly, the SA Dairyfarmers' Association president, Rob Brokenshire, indicated that recent months have been favorable for the dairy industry compared to the preceding three years, though concerns about excessively wet conditions remain.

I didn't realise that but maybe I am, but look, 228.5 reasons to smile at the moment.

— Tom FielkeFarmer Tom Fielke elaborating on his positive outlook following the rainfall.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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