Australia Weather News

Hot summer days do not come as a surprise for those living in South Australia's Riverland. 

But when three consecutive days in excess of 45 degrees Celsius were forecast as part of an extreme heatwave sweeping across the country, people took note.

At Renmark, temperatures hit 38C on Tuesday, 44C on Wednesday, and 47C on Thursday, with a top of 47 forecast today. 

For many, it was a case of simply getting through, while for others it was about making the most of existing holiday plans in the popular tourist region.

Geoff and Barb Calvert have owned and operated the Kingston on Murray Caravan Park for almost 10 years.

Mr Calvert said the sweltering weather was just part and parcel of living in the region.

"I mean, it's summer in the Riverland. You've got to expect a few hot days," he said.

"There's a river at one end and a pool at the other."

The caravan park was forced to rebuild after the devastating 2022–23 River Murray floods.

This year's hot weather shows a stark contrast at the campsite's popular pool compared to this time three years ago.

"It's just a lot of hard work from everyone, a lot of support from the local community, the staff we've got are fantastic," Mr Calvert said.

"It's been a little bit quieter than normal through the Christmas and New Year period, but as long as we keep the wheels turning, that's enough."

Visitors from all over took advantage of the typically cooler conditions of the early morning.

Levi and Matilda are from Mount Gambier in the state's south-east.

Their families were staying through to the weekend, when the weather was set to become more manageable.

"We've been to the pool every day," Levi said.

"It's a once-off thing; we never usually go to the river."

Mariah Taylor and her family from Trafalgar in regional Victoria were also bearing the brunt of the heat not too far away at the Berri Riverside Holiday Park.

"We were pretty much too far in to turn around and make any other choices," she said.

"We've done a lot of swimming, water, the kids are loving the pool, a lot of eating out in cool restaurants, so we're managing perfectly fine."

Council doing its bit to help

The Loxton Waikerie Council has also taken steps to keep its residents cool. 

It has extended the opening hours for both the Loxton and Waikerie swimming pools.

Last year, it made entry free for all residents in the council areas.

Mayor Trevor Norton said the initiatives have brought the pools back to life.

"It was to try and bring the community together, address a bit of cost-of-living pressure, so our residents could come down, exercise, get cool or just connect with other people," he said.

"It gives people a chance to come down and cool off after work or get out of the house and refresh."

Mr Norton said the council's swimming pools were the "number one priority" when they surveyed the community last year.

He said free entry at the public pools had already proven immensely popular.

"In Loxton, season tickets were previously [sold to] around 180 [people], they're now about 1,000," Mr Norton said.

"In Waikerie, where they were really dragging along at about 50 for the last two or three years, they've now reached almost 500."