SA Power Networks said that just before 12.30pm Monday, more than 31,700 customers were without power in a total of 123 outages.

Blackouts were reported across the Hills and metropolitan area including at Aldgate, Burnside, Clearview, Happy Valley and Salisbury, with homes at Second Valley, Goolwa, the mid-north and Quorn also cut off.

SA Power Networks’ outage map this morning.

Around 100 wires are down across Adelaide, with SA Power Networks spokesperson Paul Roberts saying damage has been caused by a “mix of lightning strikes and flying debris and vegetation”.

“I would suggest that there’ll be some extended outages out of this,” he said.

“We’ll be working right through the evening I think on this, and I think there will be some customers in some pockets who will be without power into tomorrow.”

A fallen tree at Tusmore. Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily

SA Power Networks has cancelled all “non-critical” planned work and brought in contractors, asset inspectors and volunteers to manage the increased workload.

“It’s always a resourcing challenge when you have three or four storm events in a row and you’re responding to bushfires, storms,” Roberts said.

“We understand that it’s inconvenient not to have power, but we hope that people understand that we’ve had some very tricky and challenging weather conditions over the past few days.”

The State Emergency Service has responded to more than 380 incidents since midnight, the majority of them callouts for fallen trees in metropolitan Adelaide.

Flights were delayed at Adelaide Airport this morning due to lightning strikes.

Adelaide Airport recorded a wind gust of 85km/h this morning, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Sellicks Hills recorded the strongest gust of 93 km/h and average winds around 70km/h.

Unley High School said it was closed for the day, telling parents this morning that “power is not due back on until later this afternoon and our battery back up will run out at 10am”. The school planned to resume lessons as normal on Tuesday.

The University of South Australia’s Magill campus also closed on Monday due to a blackout.

An Education Department spokesperson said there were nine government school and pre-school sites closed this morning due to power outages.

“Those sites impacted have advised their school communities directly of the closure, and appreciate the support of their families. As at 11am today, the Department for Education had been notified of nine sites impacted,” the spokesperson said.

Sites include:

• Melrose Primary School;
• Melrose Rural Care;
• Booleroo Kindergarten;
• Booleroo Centre District School;
• Wilmington School and Preschool;
• Orroroo Preschool and Area School;
• Newland Park Kindergarten;
• Unley High School;
• Willunga Preschool.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Jonathan Fischer said the thunderstorms also brought “widespread damaging winds” across Adelaide and parts of the Mount Lofty Ranges.

“Suburbs that were particularly hard hit were through the eastern and southern suburbs of Adelaide although it was reasonably widespread this morning,” he said.

“So those damaging winds have been ongoing through that area from yesterday afternoon actually, and I believe it’s largely resulted in a lot of trees down since it is also quite wet after the rainfall as well.”

Fischer said further damaging winds were not expected but localised thunderstorms could continue into Tuesday and Wednesday.

“With those storms it will be a bit more localised, but we do have potential for further damaging winds, some heavy rainfall and even the chance of some large hail in the stronger storms there,” he said.

“It remains to be seen whether Adelaide will be in the firing line for those storms but certainly worth keeping an eye on the radar and any warnings that we issue.”

SA Police warned of numerous traffic lights being out of operation and the SES warned some Outback roads were also closed due to high rainfall.

Fischer said Adelaide has recorded more than 50mm of rainfall this month – most of it in the last few days – meaning it has already nearly doubled its average December rainfall of 28.4mm.

-InDaily staff writers