South Australia has recorded its wettest January since 1984 with parts of the state recording five times their average rainfall for the start of the year.
The Bureau of Meteorology has reported that overall rainfall was 175 per cent above average, making it SA's fourth-wettest January on record.
Much of the Eyre Peninsula and Yorke Peninsula, plus southern parts of the pastoral districts, recorded more than five times their average rainfall for January.
The heavy rain caused large areas of flooding in parts of Eyre Peninsula, Port Augusta and the far north.
A section of the Stuart Highway, north of Glendambo, has been under water for nearly a fortnight, isolating Coober Pedy and communities in the state's remote Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands.
The Australian Defence Force has flown more than 20 tonnes of food and emergency supplies into Coober Pedy this week, with the Stuart Highway unlikely to open before next weekend.
Transport Minister Cory Wingard said there are concerns about damage to the sub-surface of the road.
"The biggest part of the problem is the water that is laying over the road … the water is dropping but not as fast as everyone would like," he said.
"We need that water to be removed to get the full assessment of the road and the damage that's been done."
Earlier in the week, truck drivers were reported for breaching the roadblock and driving through the floodwaters.
"The water is sitting there for so long, it does seep down, I'm told there are clay soils in that area and they will turn to jelly."
"We just need to be concerned that vehicles going over the top of it don't sink or do further damage to themselves and get themselves stranded or further damage the roads as well."
Tourists evacuated from Coober Pedy
Tourists Piotr Siemienas and Marlena Szlachcikowska were travelling from Darwin to Adelaide when they became stranded in Coober Pedy.
They had planned to stay just one night in Coober Pedy but have been there for 10.
Mr Siemienas said they have enjoyed exploring the town.
They helped unload food deliveries at the airport while they waited for an evacuation flight with the air force to become available.
"The best thing [to do] … is to help people, help the local people and community," Mr Siemienas said.
The couple was flown into Adelaide this afternoon by the air force along with other stranded tourists.
The flight returned with one engine not working.
Despite an emergency situation being called at the airport, it landed without incident.
"The crew was fantastic, they took care of us," Ms Szlachcikowska said.
"Obviously it's a completely different experience than a commercial one, so I think we will remember this forever."
While parts of the state were inundated with rain, the bureau's monthly report shows the south-east, the Riverland and Murrayland districts generally missed out on the heaviest falls.
Most areas recorded below-average monthly rainfall totals of less than 25 millimetres.
According to the data, the Lower South East district has recorded three consecutive months of below-average rainfall.
Daytime temperatures for January were cooler than average in central and western districts across the state, but warmer than average in parts of the east.
