Worst far from over, weather service warns

AS spring draws to an end, summer is approaching and the country continues to experience severe weather.

The worst, according to the South African Weather Service (SAWS), is far from over. This as severe thunderstorms and such conditions are expected in the central areas of the country this week alone.

“SAWS issued another yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms, resulting in strong, damaging winds and possible large amounts of small hail in places over the northern parts of the Northern Cape, extreme south-west of the North West, and extreme north-west of the Free State and southern KwaZulu-Natal. This warning remains valid until 11pm tonight.

“In addition, a yellow level 1 warning for severe thunderstorms was issued, with damaging winds and hail expected over the northern and eastern parts of the Eastern Cape.

“On Friday and Saturday, we expect showers and thunder, however, over the central interior extending to the east,” Ngobeni said.

He was speaking ahead of the services update and reflection on the recent severe weather events, and the weather forecast for the next few months.

This week severe thunderstorms lashed the southern parts of Gauteng and a tornado hit the Lekwa Local Municipality in Mpumalanga on Monday night, 13 November.

Traces of damages to vehicles and buildings could be seen alongside flooding in homes.

In Soweto, a woman slipped and fell into a drain. She has since been taken to the nearest hospital for further medical care while the body of an 18-year-old boy who slipped and drowned in the Klipvalley River in Kliptown, Soweto, 14 November was discovered.

Buildings such as Mall of Africa and the Southern Sun Hotel in Rosebank were damaged, causing guests to be evacuated.

While snow, heavy rain, gales and very rough seas can be predicted successfully and routinely well in advance, such is not the same for server hailstorm, Ngobeni said.

He said this is because severe thunderstorms are generally short-lived and that individual storms tend to be much more localised.

Dr Christien Engelbrecht from SAWS noted that the impact of elevated temperatures and heatwaves vary across the summer months.

“There's a likelihood for warmer than normal conditions, with the highest chance over the interior regions of South Africa.

“From this prediction, it can be inferred that there's a high chance of the occurrence of heatwaves over the interior,” she said.