After a long spell of heat, during which the thermometer registered as high as 107* in the shade, the people of South Australia were anxiously waiting for signs of a change.

Saturday broke cloudy, and was as disagreeably hot and humid as a day in the tropics. It was as unbearable as the several preceding hot days, but the evening was somewhat cooler.

A thunderstorm threatened during that evening, but it passed away after only a few drops of rain had fallen, and Sunday proved to be as hot as Saturday. The atmosphere in the morning was muggy, the sun being hidden behind a dense mass of cirro-stratus clouds, and only occasionally peeping out to lend additional heat to the air.

Shortly before 3 o'clock dense black clouds were to be seen from the city' gathering in the north-east, whilst lightning began to play in the south-west. The air became more and more suffocating and for quite a quarter of an hour hardly a leaf moved, so still was the atmosphere.

Peal after peal of thunder followed the flashes of chain lightning as it gradually worked its way round to the north-eastern horizon.Presently a cloud of dust preceded the approach of what might be fairly termed a cyclone. So thick was the air that it was difficult to see across a street. No sooner had the violence of the wind spent itself than the patter of enormous heat drops could be heard heralding the heavy fall of rain which followed in their wake.

Directly afterwards the air was cooled by the fall of an immense shower of hail, which lasted fully five minutes. The size of the hailstones can be fairly gauged by the fact that one gentleman who was anxious to discover their weight made them average forty-one to the pound.

Meanwhile the upper-level clouds appeared to be banked in suspension over the southern horizon. The cirro-stratus travelling from the north-east were seen to collide with the upper clouds in suspension and turn over and over, emptying as they rolled a perfect deluge of water over a large area of country, extending apparently from the south-east corner of the city in a south-easterly direction towards the coast. A portion of the clouds was diverted and travelled due south toward the Mount Lofty Range, where it was caught by the high hills, letting fall its burden in large sheets.

This all took place before 4 o'clock, and from then till about 5 o'clock rain fell steadily and continuously. It was estimated that over the eastern portion of the city about one-half to three quarters of an inch fell, and somewhat more in the eastern suburbs. At Burnside and in the southern suburbs it was reckoned that at least 2 inches was the fall. In the northern and north-western and western suburbs hardly any rain fell. In fact it appeared to be nothing more than a passing shower. The drops, however, were unusually large. Travellers returning from Henley Beach reported that scarcely any rain was recorded there, but there was a good fall at Glenelg.

With such an unprecedentedly heavy fall, which took place principally in the ranges to the east and south-east of Adelaide, and on the portion of the Adelaide Plains between them and the city, it was only natural that the watercourses should be unable to safely carry off the rush. The Brownhill Creek came down in flood, and in its course caused the loss of two lives— the only victims. This, with the First, Second, and Third Creeks, carried off the bulk of the water, but numerous smaller creeks which empty themselves into the Torrens overflowed their banks and caused much damage. The rivulet flowing parallel with the Mount Barker-road came down the Glen Osmond road in a broad stream, junctioning at the Parkside Lunatic Asylum with another stream from the Fullarton-road. Here the home for the insane suffered largely.

Making its way through the Park Lands and the racecourse, the water flowed in twin streams, the one taking South terrace and the other keeping to the Park Lands. The small boy of the city soon heard of the 'fun' and was to be seen gathering a crop of watermelons, pumpkins, and other vegetables as they were borne upon the flood.

The limitation of the rainfall area is shown by the fact that the usually excitable Sturt Creek, which passes Morphettville, was not more than half full, whilst the unfortunate blockers at Goodwood and Richmand, who only had a fair fall of rain from above, were yet washed out of hearth and home by the overflow waters of the Brownhill Creek and smaller courses further east. In the eastern suburbs most of the damage was done by First Creek but Second Creek was also running very high. The Glenelg Railway line from North-terrace was affected, and the Traffic Manager found it necessary to dispatch a gang of men to work all night to make good the damage ready for to-days traffic.

The principal loss was occasioned by the washing away of the metal from the roads. It is estimated that it will take fully £5,000 to put in good order the Main South-East-road, about which there has been so much discussion. The city and suburban authorities will find it necessary to dip deeply into the Corporation treasury before the streets are restored to their usual state.

Other losses mainly consist in damage to gardens, outhouses, furniture, fences, and walls. A great many people were flooded out in all parts of the plain. After the rain the air was somewhat cooler, but hoses were still hot and stuffy, and a thorough change was still wanting. The evening was brightened by a nearly full moon, by the light of which thousands of people wandered around the wrack-strewn, mud-covered streets and paddocks to obtain glimpses of the devastation done.

A couple of relevant points from the last weather system:
If you go to this link http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-12/boy-hit-by-lightning/4127066 you can see a photo of part of Kensington Oval. I don't know where the strike actually occurred in the photo (or whether it was outside the photo) but notice the proximity of the trees and the goal posts. Food for thought for anyone who believes nearby taller objects will protect them from a strike.