Level 5 rain alert issued for Gauteng, flood warning for large parts of SA
According to the SAWS' Lehlohonolo Thobela, the rain will lead to flooding in low-lying areas, the disruption of basic services and the displacement of people in some informal settlements.
Picture: Wikimedia Commons
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned of disruptive rain over large parts of the country on Thursday, with a level 5 warning issued for Gauteng.
According to the SAWS’ Lehlohonolo Thobela, the rain will lead to flooding in low-lying areas, the disruption of basic services and the displacement of people in some informal settlements.
Disruptions to traffic can also be expected.
“Most of Gauteng – especially areas like Centurion that are prone to floodings – will be affected with some already affected as we speak,” said Thobela.
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A level 5 orange warning has been issued by the SAWS over southern and western Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and the western bushveld of Limpopo.
A yellow level 2 warning for disruptive rainfall has been issued over the eastern parts of North West and the eastern Free State.
A yellow level 2 warning has been issued over the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape and in places in KwaZulu-Natal.
Thobela said the rain was partially due to the after-effects of tropical storm Eloise, but not exclusively.
“There is also a high-pressure system which has reached the country,” he noted.
⚠️ Media Release: Disruptive Rainfall expected over the central interior this week. pic.twitter.com/ewRD7DwR6T
— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) January 26, 2021
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