'Unbelievable amount of water': Towns receive over 200mm in 24 hours

A month ago, parts of outback South Australia and New South Wales were sweltering through record-breaking temperatures, but remote communities and stations are now experiencing "life-changing" rainfall totals.

With some pastoralists already recording 215 millimetres overnight, the coming days are forecast to bring up to an additional 100mm in some parts of north-east SA.

A cold front is sweeping across Central Australia, crossing borders through parts of far-western NSW, northern South Australia, and parts of south-western Queensland, bringing a long-needed deluge of rain to drought-stricken farmland.

The rain is expected to drench Central Australia all week, bringing nearly a year's worth of rain to some parts of the interior.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) recorded overnight totals of 90mm at Tibooburra in far north-west NSW, with 50mm recorded over the SA border at Moomba Airport.

However, pastoralists say they have recorded much more on their own properties, and many are calling the deluge drought-breaking.

At Lake Wallace Station, about 200 kilometres north of Broken Hill near the NSW/SA border, Dennis Mannion had 120mm as of yesterday.

"[The creek] was nearly running clear; it was just beautiful, slow-moving water."

Like many farmers and graziers across Central Australia, Gordon Litchfield from Wilpoorina Station, near Marree in SA, had been holding his breath for decent rain.

"This is sort of what we live for, really, times like these," he said.

"We go through lots of very dry times, where stock are struggling and animals dying from the heat and malnutrition, but times like these, we're very lucky."

On Cymbric Vale Station, 180km north-east of Broken Hill, Britt Anderson called the 215mm they had received overnight life-changing.

"We were definitely some of those people thinking contingency plans," she said.

"We've got rain records for Cymbric Vale back to 1921 and there's nothing like this on record."

Outback infrastructure challenges

In one of Australia's smallest towns, William Creek, 210km north-west of Marree in SA, sandbagging efforts are underway.

Located on the famous Oodnadatta Track, the community of about a dozen people yesterday received 40mm of rain.

"We've been sandbagging the hotel, the generator and other buildings," local Henry Read-Spinks said.

"It's not really something we're expected to do in the middle of nowhere, but we gave it a good shot, and it seems to have worked for now."

But he said that with more rain coming, only time would tell if it would be enough to protect homes and properties.

More rain to come

The BOM said more rain was expected as the tropical low-pressure system driving the rainfall moved south.

Widespread falls of 10-20mm are likely across SA's agricultural areas in coming days, with isolated totals of 40-80mm possible — and potentially higher falls in parts of the Flinders Rangers.

By the weekend, storms are expected to hit the southern parts of South Australia, including Adelaide.

With such heavy rainfall forecast, the BOM is warning it may lead to flash flooding for parts of the North East Pastoral overnight and into tomorrow morning.

It said six-hourly rainfall totals between 30 and 60mm were likely, with 24-hourly rainfall totals between 50 and 80mm likely and isolated totals of 130mm possible.

Race to get back on track

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) said it was still working to get its east-west rail corridor back online after severe flooding caused parts of the track to be washed away earlier in the week.

Flooding near Port Augusta of "up to 100 metres" saw the corridor closed and rail services suspended.

With a further major rainfall event anticipated to affect similar areas of the network from Friday through to Sunday, which cumulatively could deliver between 150mm and 250mm of rain across the weekend, the ARTC said its crews were "working around the clock to restore the corridor safely and efficiently".

"A return to service is anticipated for the coming weekend; however, the forecast major rain event has the potential to impact recovery works and reopening time-frames," it said.

"ARTC continues to maintain regular communication with customers and all impacted stakeholders."