BAMOS August 2025
20 Article
The Adelaide Storm of 1948
Dick Whitaker( weathersmart @ optusnet. com. au)
One of the most notorious storms to affect South Australia during the 20th Century occurred off the coast of Adelaide in April 1948. The media dubbed this event‘ The Storm of the Century’ 1.
On Sunday, 11 April, an intense and slow-moving low-pressure system that drifted across the area from the northwest generated gale to storm-force winds across the St Vincent Gulf for over eight hours— from roughly 4 am to midday.
Record wind gusts of 131 km / h were recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology at Adelaide, breaking the previous record of 121 km / hr on 1 December 1935 2.
The storm surge
This prolonged period of high winds not only produced huge waves off the coast of Adelaide but also a massive storm surge.
A storm surge is a phenomenon typically associated with tropical cyclones and, on occasion, with extratropical lows, where strong winds push ocean water towards the shore, piling it up well above tidal levels. If a storm surge coincides with a high tide, the resultant water levels can be metres above the normal range.
The storm surge associated with the 1948 event smashed onto the eastern shoreline of St Vincent Gulf, with water rising metres above its normal height. It had a devastating effect on the Glenelg Jetty, a unique Victorian-era jetty and major attraction for both locals and tourists.
By comparing Image 1 with Image 2( taken in 1948 and 1938, respectively), it can be estimated that the sea level in 1948 was around 4 to 6 metres higher than in 1938. This estimation does not include tidal information, so these elevated water levels were not only the result of the storm surge, but likely the main consequence.
Destruction of the Glenelg jetty
Originally constructed in 1859, the Glenelg jetty was a favourite spot for swimming, diving, fishing and promenading. Until 1948, the jetty was over 300 metres long, housing tearooms and a large sea aquarium.
On 11 April 1948, huge, curling breakers ran straight over the top before crashing onto the shoreline, sending water cascading over the adjacent roadway. The aquarium and tearooms became small islands in a raging, wind-swept ocean.
The jetty ' s structure could not withstand the onslaught and was chopped into several pieces. Large crowds, estimated to be in the hundreds, flocked to Glenelg Beach to witness the tragic spectacle.
The loss of the jetty was only part of a massive trail of damage around Adelaide. The scouring action of the high water and waves eroded much of the sand from the famous Glenelg Beach, leaving behind a barren stretch of rock and seaweed. The naval survey frigate HMAS Barcoo was driven ashore not far from the jetty, and many smaller craft were either sunk or smashed.
The Advertiser reported that:
Dawn revealed scenes of great devastation. Large sections of the Glenelg and Brighton jetties have been swept away by huge seas, scores of homes have been unroofed, thousands of fences blown down and big trees uprooted. Damage estimated at hundreds of thousands of pounds has been caused by wind and rain in the city and suburbs. Never has Adelaide seen such a litter and mass of minor destruction 3.
It was to be another 21 years before the jetty was rebuilt, and the new structure was finally opened in 1969, although it was not as long or grand as the original.
Image 1: The Glenelg Jetty, looking seawards on 11th April 1948. The aquarium is nearest the camera, and the tearooms are further out. Credit: State Library of South Australia
Image 2: The Glenelg Jetty in 1938 looking towards the shore. Credit: State Library of South Australia
1. Australia’ s Natural Disasters, Whitaker, Richard, New Holland Publishers, 2021, pp. 105-109 2,3. The Adelaide Advertiser, Monday 12th April, p 1