WATCH: Mini tornado barrels through Bloemfontein

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has confirmed they have received reports of a tornado that hit Bloemfontein in the Free State.

Photos and videos have been circulating on social media showing extremely adverse weather conditions and high winds in the province.

The photos and video’s showed scenes of uprooted trees and some damage caused to buildings in the area.

Watch the videos of a small tornado that hit Bloemfontein:

Damaging winds

Speaking to The Citizen, SAWS‘ Michael Nethavhani confirmed that there was a storm that hit the Free State on Tuesday.

“What we can confirm so far is that there is a line of storm, its called squall line, which is notoriously known for producing strong damaging winds that passed central parts of the country on Tuesday, at around 4 o’ clock. It was very gusty strong winds.”

Damages and injuries

“As the weather services, we have not been to the site to do visits. There hasn’t been any reported casualties.

“By the look of things, that area is near the airport and is an industrial area, so the damage that is visible from the pictures that we have received is mostly carports, twisted metals and uprooted trees,” Nethavhani said.

Nethavhani said SAWS will be releasing a detailed report after they visit the affected areas.

This is not the first time that Free State has been affected by damaging winds.

In 2019, a mini-tornado uprooted trees and caused damage to power lines and farming equipment.

Weather warnings

Meanwhile, SAWS has issued a Yellow Level 2 weather warning for disruptive rain over eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal and extreme northern parts of the Eastern half of the Eastern Cape, leading to localised flooding of low-lying bridges, damage to infrastructure, minor accidents due to slippery roads.

It also issued an Orange Level 5 warning for disruptive rain – leading to localised flooding of susceptible settlements, roads, low lying areas and bridges – is expected over the extreme north-eastern parts of the eastern half of the Eastern Cape.

“Cloudy with morning fog patches over the central and the eastern parts at first, otherwise partly cloudy and cold to cool with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers,” it reported for the Free State.