South Australia To Be Hit By Flooding Shortly After Devastating Bushfire

MOSCOW, January 9 (Sputnik), Ekaterina Blinova - South Australia is preparing for heavy flooding mere days after a devastating bushfire struck about 12,500 hectares (30,888 acres) in Adelaide Hills, an area near the South Australian state capital of Adelaide which is known for its vineyards.

"The Bureau of Meteorology [BoM] says heavy falls of up to 120mm have already occurred in the north of the state, in what they have described as the state’s heaviest rainfall event in 30 years," the Advertiser, an Adelaide-based online daily reported.

According to the BoM, heavy rainfalls and thunderstorms will hit the country through to Monday, resulting in 50-150 mm (6 inches) of rain, and reaching up to 200 mm (7 inches) in some regions. Rains will move from the far north to the southeast during Friday and Saturday; it is expected that rainfalls will have diminished by late Monday.

legit 2 days ago australia was experiencing severe bush fires now we're experiencing floods

— maddie ◡̈ (@ACIDIRWXNS) 9 января 2015

So Australia. Four days of scorching heat and bushfires, and now pouring rain and floods. Really got the extreme thing down.

— Airri Miko (@spartiancats) 9 января 2015

Australia. So diverse. Bushfire and floods in one week. But I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. #mycountry pic.twitter.com/MeFyxweYzj

— Jo Sanders (Tweak) (@JoTweak) 9 января 2015

The Australian State Emergency Service (SES) has already warned civilians against driving or playing in flood waters. Dermot Barry, the SES chief, told the Advertiser that about 100 SES servicemen "are on alert in the north," while up to 1,800 volunteers are preparing to deal with the natural disaster across the state.

"At the moment our specific concern are the far, far north, around the APY (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara) lands coming down to Roxby Downs and those areas.

We have flood watches in those areas now. We also have severe thunderstorm warnings coming down as far as Port Augusta heading almost across to the Riverland," he said, as quoted by the media outlet.

"Those are our primary concerns ... but the concern we have for the next three or four days is the potential for those conditions to come further south and if it does, there’s real potential for it to come into Adelaide and go across the back of the Adelaide Hills," he added.

The Australian reports, citing Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley, that rains are likely to cause landslides and falling trees in the regions which suffered from the bushfire.

"We would just encourage everyone to be prepared and tie down loose objects before the storm hits and … drive to conditions," said Victorian State Emergency Service spokesman Stefan Delatovic, as quoted by the Australian.

Thunderstorms, damaging winds, heavy rains and severe flooding are possible in Melbourne as well as throughout central and eastern Victoria, according to BoM senior forecaster Steven McGibbony.