Winds whip up dust across South Australia

Strong winds have whipped up dust across South Australia's west coast and Eyre Peninsula causing problems local residents, particularly rain-starved farmers.

In some areas, the dust reduced visibility to a few hundred metres prompting health warnings, especially for those with respiratory conditions.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the dust was being whipped up by a vigorous cold front sweeping across the state, the situation exacerbated by SA having its driest July since 1999.

Gusts of more than 100 km/h were recorded at Cleve on the Eyre Peninsula, where local farmer Peter Rehn said the conditions were the worst he'd seen for 40 years.

With little rain, he said the 2018 season had become a "disaster".

"A disaster in terms of crop and a disaster in terms of sheep," he told the Nine Network.

"We can't do a damn thing about it except sit inside until it passes.

"But it's tearing our country to pieces."

Expectations for this year's grain crop in SA had already been downgraded with Thursday's conditions only adding to the sector's woes.

Adelaide missed the worst of the wild weather which had prompted a warning from health authorities for those with asthma and other respiratory or cardiac condition to stay indoors.

"We advise those people to avoid exposure to dust, stay indoors, take medication as usual and avoid exercise in areas of high dust," chief medical officer Paddy Phillips said.

Asthma Australia also urged sufferers to stay indoors with the windows closed and to carry their reliever medication at all times.

"If there are adverse weather conditions involving a lot of dust in the air, people with asthma should be diligent to follow steps to minimise risks of a flare up," Asthma Australia CEO Michele Goldman said in a statement.

Weather forecasters said showers would track across SA behind the front, reaching Adelaide late on Thursday and would continue on Friday.

A more significant band of rain was expected to reach the city on Sunday.