Australia Weather News

Floodwaters have stabilised north of Adelaide after State Emergency Service crews worked through the night, but residents have been warned incoming rain could cause further flooding.

The SES has advised residents in flood-affected areas to leave sandbags in place, with the weather bureau forecasting further rain between Sunday and Tuesday.

It said the threat of flooding had reduced around the Gawler and Wakefield rivers, north of Adelaide.

The towns of Virginia, Two Wells and Lewiston suffered flooding throughout Saturday, damaging a number of properties.

Extensive sandbagging in Port Wakefield prevented any major damage to the town when the Wakefield River burst its banks on Saturday.

Sandbagging continued through the night after 60,000 sandbags were flown into the Edinburgh RAAF base.

Emergency crews from Western Australia and Victoria as well as Australian Defence Force personnel were assisting SA crews on the ground.

'You can never build sandbag walls high enough'

SES deputy chief officer Dermot Barry said there had been a temporary easing of conditions and that crews were preparing for more rain.

"Given the nature of the weather prediction at the moment with more rain to come over the next days, I think this is a temporary lull, which gives us all an opportunity … to consolidate our positions," Mr Barry said.

He said crews would patrol levees, strengthen sandbag walls and plan on how to defend positions should the rain create further flooding issues.

"You can never build sandbag walls high enough, so depending on where the rain goes and depending how quickly it falls in certain catchments, it maybe that we are more reactive than the proactive stuff."

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast "significant rain" for over the Adelaide Hills between Sunday and Tuesday.

The SES said aerial photos of the Gawler catchment area showed it was a one-in-20-year flood.

On Saturday night, emergency crews conducted several rescues from cars and plucked three people on a rubber duckie from a swollen creek at Renmark.

An emergency flood warning remains in place for towns around the Gawler River on Sunday but the warning for Port Wakefield has been reduced to a watch and act.

Rain forecast puts crews on alert

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Paul Bierman said the cold front was bringing rain and possible isolated thunderstorms across the state on Sunday with "Monday the wettest day of the system".

He said rainfall totals could be between 15 to 40 millimetres across Adelaide and the Mid North, while 40 to 80mm was forecast for the Mount Lofty Ranges.

Up to 100mm in some of the higher areas of the ranges was possible, he said.

People living in the Onkaparinga catchment area have been told to prepare for possible flooding.

Mr Bierman warned there was potential for more flood warnings during the next few days.

"For September, Adelaide Kent Town has received 131mm … that's well above the average of 51mm and in fact the fourth-wettest September on record [for the site]," Mr Bierman said.

Industrial customers still without full power

The entire state was plunged into darkness on Wednesday when extreme weather damaged transmission towers near Melrose, in the Flinders Ranges.

ElectraNet, which provides electricity infrastructure across Australia, said the high-voltage electricity supply across the state was stable on Sunday.

In a statement, it said some large industrial customers were still without full power supplies on Sunday afternoon.

Network services manager Simon Emms said ElectraNet's focus was on the Mid North, where storms damaged three of the four backbone lines in the area.

"Power supply from the Mid North of the state, around Port Augusta, and down the Eyre Peninsula, is currently relying on the one undamaged circuit," he said.

He said crews were preparing to erect temporary towers to get the damaged circuits back in action.

SA Water said water and sewerage systems across the state were fully operational.

Market gardens lose crops

Meanwhile, local farmers fear they will be hit hard by the flooding, after Virginia's levee burst on Saturday morning, covering market gardens and agricultural land.

"There's a huge loss of crops," local Gina Palma said.

"Crops are just about ready to be harvested, like we're talking about a week, maybe two weeks.

"It will take days for the water to drain out of there so it's a huge economic loss for the people in the area."