South Australia is starting to soak up some rain, which has been a long time coming and welcome by many.

During Wednesday the West Coast gained widespread rain, not particularly heavy but enough to make the ground damp and soft.

In just a few hours Port Lincoln, Wudinna, Minnipa and Ceduna picked up more rainfall than during the last month. Many farmers in the area have been anxiously waiting for an event like this, something which can allow them to sow their winter crops.

This is the strongest front to hit the state so far this year, bringing with it cold air from the Southern Ocean. It is cold enough for some small hail amongst the rain. Temperatures have been dropping as much as 10 degrees since the rain has arrived.

By 4pm Wednesday Elizabeth had picked up just 0.2 of a millimetre but had cooled from 22 degrees to a chilly 12. This is an indication of what’s to come today, Thursday.

Adelaide is going for a top of only 13 degrees and Mt Barker and Clare only 10 degrees, five or six degrees below average.

Between now and Sunday Adelaide, the West Coast and much of the agricultural area can expect some rain. Almost nowhere will miss out.

There will be a few bands of rain going through, mostly on Wednesday night, Thursday and Saturday. By Sunday most of the region will pick up 10 to 30mm. Some heavy falls are possible about the peninsulas and hills with potential for more than 50mm.

This rain will be associated with a burst of strong winds, adding quite a bit of chill to the air.

Thursday will generally not be as windy as Wednesday but Adelaide’s 13 degrees should still feel a degree-or-two colder.

Severe weather warnings are still in place in the south of the state due to the prospect of further damaging gusts. So far gusts have reached 80 to 85 km/h in many centres and as strong as 89 km/h in Naracoorte, strong enough to bring sown trees.

– Weatherzone