KZN’s eager snow watchers warned of weather dangers

While Durban snow watchers are always keen to head out to find the “white stuff” when it falls in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and Berg, the province’s disaster management teams are on high alert as the cold front takes grip, reports the Southlands Sun.

With light snowfalls already falling over parts of the Drakensberg and other parts of the province, an appeal has been issued for KZN residents, especially those in areas prone to heavy snowfalls and flooding to carefully plan their driving outings this weekend.

“Our appeal is to the residents of KZN, particularly in areas prone to heavy snow falls and flooding, to heed our advice and the regular updates from the South African Weather Services when planning all trips that require driving or any other outdoor activities,” said KZN MEC for Cogta Nomusa Dube-Ncube.

The MEC reassured the public that its disaster management teams are on standby to assist with every reported incident relating to poor weather conditions. The public is also encouraged to seek help from their respective municipalities.

“We specifically appeal to parents to ensure all school-going children avoid precarious routes that are prone to flash flooding and urge all schools to plan all outdoor activities carefully and in line with the latest updates from the South African Weather Services,” said Dube-Ncube.

“We would like to warn snow watchers to stay clear of affected areas as they risk becoming trapped in these areas when they become impassable.”

The department has already activated its joint operation centres in all districts and all intervener institutions including emergency services, police, health, transport and social development, to name a few.

“We would like to ensure that we do not suffer injuries, trauma and unnecessary loss of life in emergencies that could have been avoided. We also warn communities to be careful not to cause danger with fires as they try to warm themselves up,” said Dube-Ncube.

– Caxton News Service

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