Cricket ball-size hailstones obliterate Lydenburg
The South African Weather Service classified the hailstorm on Sunday November 14 as a superstorm.
Residents were able to assess the true damage in the early light of day on Monday November 15. But nothing could have prepared them for the utter havoc left in the wake of the storm.
Early on Sunday the South African Weather Service (SAWS) had issued a warning for severe thunderstorms with strong, damaging winds and hail in places along the escarpment and Lowveld areas of Mpumalanga and Limpopo later that day.
The massive hailstorm that hit Lydenburg, including the Badfontein Road, Dullstroom Road (R36) and the Burgersfort Road (R37), resulted in severe property and vehicle damage.
Some hailstones were larger than golf and cricket balls. The solar panels, windows and roofs of the Soli Deo Gloria Care Centre were damaged.
The Kannabas and Kiepersol Housing Units for the elderly are in particularly bad shape with severe roof damage.
P.G. Glass, a window fitting business in Lydenburg, was inundated with calls on Monday. Even windows of the Steelburger/ Lydenburg News office were damaged.
During the chaos, a cat had been found by a Marais Street family under their dining table. The feline’s one eye had been damaged and he had clearly been hit by hail. Luckily by 21:00 his owners were able to locate him with the help of social media. The cat was taken to a veterinarian. During storms like this livestock is usually left without shelter.
On Monday SAWS warned of localised flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas and bridges in Lydenburg, Badfontein and Dullstroom.
