Rain and storms hitting eastern Australia as SA records heaviest August rain in decades

A low pressure system will continue to drive rain and thunderstorms across parts of eastern and southeastern Australia on Tuesday after delivering the heaviest rain in four years to parts of South Australia on Monday.

The low pressure system and an associated trough are tapping into abundant atmospheric moisture to cause widespread rain and storms across parts of southern, central and eastern Australia in the first half of this week.

On Monday, the heaviest rain fell over southern parts SA while a long line of thunderstorms stretched more than 1,500 km north across the Red Centre into the Northern Territory. This wet and stormy weather then spread further east on Monday night into Tuesday morning, affecting parts of NSW, Victoria and Queensland.

The Weatherzone Total Lightning Network detected around 70,000 lightning pulses across SA, the NT and western Qld between midday on Monday and 6am on Tuesday, AEST.

Image: Observed lightning pulses within 800 km of the marker shown on the SA/NT border during the 18 hours ending at 6am AEST on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Source: Weatherzone.

Heaviest August rain in decades for parts of SA

Multiple bouts of rain fell over the Mount Lofty Ranges and Adelaide region on Monday and Tuesday morning. These areas saw widespread 24-hour rainfall totals of 20 to 50 mm with isolated falls around 60 to 70 mm.

Some of the standout rainfall totals during the 24 hours ending at 9am local time on Tuesday, August 25, included:

• 62 mm at Mount Lofty, SA – its heaviest rain since June 2022
• 35 mm at Cummins, SA – its heaviest rain since February 2022
• 31.2 mm at Kingscote, SA – heaviest rain in 4 years, and wettest August day in 33 years
• 29.8 mm at Adelaide, SA – heaviest August rain in 34 years
• 22 mm at Murray Bridge, SA – heaviest August rain in 40 years

Impressively, Adelaide is now having its wettest winter in 22 years after this latest round of rain brought the city’s running total for the season up to 293.8 mm.

Rain and storms spreading through Vic, NSW and Qld

The rain associated with this large weather system started spreading across parts of Vic, NSW, Qld and the ACT on Monday night. By 9am local time on Tuesday, some areas in southern inland NSW and the ACT had already received 30 to 60 mm of rain, while parts of central and northeast Vic had picked up 15 to 45 mm. Falls were lighter in Qld as of Tuesday morning, although 5 to 15 mm totals were decent falls by local standards across the state’s far west and southwest.

Rain will continue to move over parts of Vic, NSW, the ACT and Qld on Tuesday, with thunderstorms likely to develop over northern Vic, western NSW and southern Qld, most likely in the afternoon and early evening. Some of these storms will become severe, with damaging winds, large hail and heavy rain all a threat.

On Wednesday, showers will mostly contract to eastern NSW and southeast Qld as the system begins to move offshore. Lingering instability in the atmosphere may cause a few more thunderstorms in central and northeast NSW and far southeast Qld on Wednesday, although these generally won’t be as intense or widespread as Tuesday’s storms.

Image: Forecast accumulated rain during the 48 hours ending at 10 pm AEST on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Source: Weatherzone.

Rain will also affect parts of Tasmania on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the heaviest falls in the state’s west. Snow is also possible over the state’s western and central highlands as temperatures drop on Wednesday.

Flood watches and warnings have been issued in parts of SA, NSW and Vic for this system. Severe thunderstorm warnings may also be issued on Tuesday as storm activity increases into the afternoon. Check the radar and latest warnings in your area for the most up-to-date information on rain and storms in the next two days.