Flash floods in Joburg: SA Weather warns of more severe storms on Thursday

Johannesburg Emergency Services said that while no major incidents were recorded after torrential rain lashed parts of Johannesburg, some areas were affected by flash floods.

This comes after the South African Weather Services (Saws) warned of severe thunderstorms with a possibility of flash flooding.

Flash floods

On Wednesday afternoon, heavy downpours affected several roads, with motorists urged to exercise precaution when driving.

Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said the rain created treacherous conditions.

“Most roads are wet and slippery, with some reports of flash floods in most of our low-lying areas. So far, we have not yet recorded any major incidents that have been reported throughout all seven regions of the city of Johannesburg.”

ALSO READ: Weather alert: Severe storms and flooding expected in three provinces

More severe weather

Saws warned of severe thunderstorms and flooding across Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Thursday. Mulaudzi said they would remain on high alert during the adverse weather conditions.

“Our motorists are urged to continue to exercise caution while driving. Avoid crossing flooded roads and low-lying bridges. Our residents, who are residing mostly in our low-lying areas, are urged to avoid crossing river streams while conducting their daily activities.

“From our side is the city of Johannesburg, we remain on high alert, monitoring all seven regions of the city, together with our specialized team, which is our aquatic rescue unit, which is a special team, which responds to water-related emergencies,” Mulaudzi said.

Saws warnings

Meanwhile, other provinces will not be spared from severe weather conditions.

The weather service has issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms. Heavy downpours are expected to result in localised flooding of low-lying areas and bridges, as well as susceptible areas over the South-Western Bushveld in Limpopo, the Highveld of Mpumalanga, and the eastern parts of both the Free State and North West.

A yellow level 2 warning has also been issued for disruptive rain, which is expected to lead to localised flooding of roads, low-lying bridges, and settlements in the north-eastern parts of KZN.

The weather service also warned of extremely high fire danger conditions in the Hantam Municipality in the Northern Cape.

ALSO READ: ‘It looked like the Vaal River coming down’: Joburg residents pick up the pieces after floods [VIDEO]