South Australian heatwave conditions are rolling on but high demand for electricity has been handled well by energy market authorities, the state government says.
There have been no major blackouts across the state so far this week, despite sustained hot weather putting continued pressure on electricity generators.
The mercury hit 36.2C in Adelaide on Thursday, the fourth day of a hot streak set to push well into next week.
After lashing the Australian Energy Market Operator last month, when 90,000 customers were blacked out because of load shedding during a similar heatwave, SA Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis said "everything was different" in how AEMO had handled the current conditions.
"They were more cautious. They took into account the people who may be affected. They acted liked a national operator in the national interest," he told ABC radio on Thursday.
"They were making sure South Australians didn't lose any power and I think what happened yesterday goes to show you that when we last had the rolling blackouts and load shedding it was completely unnecessary."
As hot as it was on the streets, the blood was also boiling in state parliament on Thursday with the government and opposition trading barbs over energy policy.
The opposition said the government must do better in managing energy supplies to avoid blackouts and should take more action to bring soaring power prices under control.
But the government continued to point the finger at the former Liberal government which privatised the state's power assets, arguing it was the genesis of the current issues.
The debate will no doubt continue along with the sunshine with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting only minor relief from the heat over the next seven days.
After tops of 34C and 33C on Friday and Saturday, temperatures in Adelaide will drop to a more manageable 30C for Sunday and Monday before pushing back into the mid-30s well into next week.
The bureau says a large high pressure system that is stationary in the Great Australian Bight is the reason for the sustained hot streak, which while unusual for March is not unprecedented.
In 2008 the city sweltered through 15 consecutive days over 35C, including 12 over 38C.
Forecasting site Weatherzone said with four days over 35C so far this week, the current hot streak was the first time since that record heatwave that such a sustained period of high temperatures had pushed into March.
