Australia Weather News

Floodwaters lap at a house in Robinson Road, Virginia. - ABC

The South Australian towns of Virginia and Port Wakefield are under threat from floodwaters as the Gawler and Wakefield rivers burst their banks, with warnings more rain is on the way.

About 60,000 sandbags were flown into the Edinburgh RAAF base on Saturday afternoon to be used in the sandbagging effort.

The levee at Virginia, on the rural outskirts of Adelaide's north, failed on Saturday morning and an emergency warning for people in the area spreading from Gawler to Buckland Park was issued.

"It's a very low-lying floodplain and there is a significant amount of water coming down the Gawler River and so there is every likelihood that there will be properties inundated," SES spokesman Chris Beattie told 891 ABC Adelaide.

About 20 structures at Bowmans, in the state's Mid North, were flooded by the Wakefield River. There were also reports of flooding at Balaklava.

The SES said flooding had stabilised since Saturday afternoon but staff were still working on the ground overnight to protect homes.

Police were also still monitoring water levels on Port Wakefield Road, the main highway connecting Adelaide to the north.

Traffic on the road has been diverted since Saturday morning.

Premier Jay Weatherill said the major flood threat was around Virginia, with the Wakefield River yet to peak.

"There has been a Herculean effort to protect Port Wakefield," Mr Weatherill said.

"A temporary levy of sandbags has been constructed and up until this point has been effective in protecting the town."

SES, residents and the Army sandbagged the Port Wakefield township — home to about 500 people.

The water was being directed away from the town on to the golf course.

Chief of Defence Mark Binskin tweeted that in the 24 hours to Saturday evening, the Defence Force had filled and delivered 100,000 sandbags to flood-affected areas in South Australia.

Sandbagging effort as people trapped

Owner of the Port Wakefield Hotel Lee Barbero said floodwaters were blocking some people from getting out of the town.

"It was very quiet and eerie actually except for where they are all doing their bits sandbagging," she said.

"There's a hell of a lot of people out there trying to do whatever they can.

"There are people who are actually trapped in their houses and that at the moment … and we can't get to them and they can't get out."

SES spokesman Chris Beattie said sandbags would be trucked from the RAAF base to pickup points like councils and CFS stations ahead of the rain which is expected from Sunday.

He said crews remained on high alert around Port Pirie, on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf, watching the Broughton River.

Significant rain on the way

Senior forecaster John Nairn said more rain was expected across South Australia from Sunday afternoon.

"So as we move into Sunday we expect to see a front to arrive in the mid afternoon and it will produce some falls in a range of 10 to 20 millimetres on higher ground," Mr Nairn said.

He said "more significant rain" of up to 60 millimetres in the Mount Lofty Ranges, and about 20 to 30 millimetres north of the Gawler River catchment were expected on Monday.

Between Sunday and Tuesday the Adelaide Hills could receive up to 100 millimetres on already saturated ground, he said.

Gawler avoids serious damage

Gawler, north of Adelaide, avoided serious property damage on Friday night after SES crews worked with volunteers and Australian Defence Force personnel to protect residents, as the Gawler River peaked about 10:00pm.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said rainfall of more than 60 to 100 millimetres had been recorded across the Gawler catchment since Wednesday.

Flooding had also occurred further north-east of Gawler in the Barossa Valley.

Parts of the Barossa Valley were inundated with floodwaters after the North Para River broke its banks on Thursday night, but water levels upstream in the North Para have since stabilised.

The rising floodwaters forced the late-night evacuation of campers at the caravan park in Tanunda.

Meanwhile floodwaters have forced the Ghan to transfer Adelaide-bound passengers onto buses for the rest of the journey.

A spokesperson for Great Southern Rail said flooding between Two Wells and Mallala meant the Ghan had to stop at Port Augusta.

ABC