Staggering 121mm of rain falls in Pretoria in 24 hours – weather service

About 121mm of rain has fallen in Pretoria in the past 24 hours, the SA weather service has said.

“For today we are expecting between 5-10mm of rain,” said forecaster Kgolofelo Mahlangu.

READ MORE: Chaos as flooding overwhelms parts of Gauteng

The best way to keep track of how much rain has fallen in your area, is to put a rain gauge in your garden or outside area, Pretoria North Rekord reports.

The ecology centre has provided a simple DIY rain gauge.

“Making one at home is easy, and nearly free. Once in place, use your rain gauge to discover how much rain you receive,” said the centre.

You will need:

• A 1 litre plastic water bottle
• A sharp knife
• A ruler and a pen/marker

Instructions

• Using a sharp knife, cut the cylindrical part of the neck of the 1-litre plastic water bottle off.
• Invert the top to make a funnel. This funnel will prevent evaporation of water.
• Using your ruler and pen, place a mark every 1/2 inch on the bottle. These will allow you to measure how much rain you received.
• An empty plastic bottle, being light, will fall down or fly away in the slightest breeze. Dig a hole and bury the lower end of the bottle in the ground. This will anchor the bottle in place.
• After it rains, head outside and check your gauge! Record your results.

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