Disruptive rain, thunderstorms expected as Eloise returns to SA

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a yellow warning for disruptive rainfall in North West, the Free State, and Northern Cape provinces which is set to remain in place until Friday evening.

This as tropical storm Eloise returns to the country.

Though  Eloise is now a much-weakened extra-tropical low-pressure system, it is expected to move to the Free State and North West provinces, and the north-eastern half of the Northern Cape this week.

Scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers are expected to continue until the weekend.

The rain also ushers in a cold front on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: Cyclone Eloise: Death toll in SA rises to four

“The arrival of the cold front will herald a linkage of weather systems, between the tropics and the extra-tropical regions,” said SAWS.

“Such a juxtaposition of weather systems can typically be expected to contribute towards heavy rainfall over the central interior as the weather system moves from west to east and this case will be no exception.

“Our numeric weather prediction models are indicating significant amounts of rainfall to occur over the eastern parts of the Northern Cape, western parts of both the North West Province and the Free State,” SAWS added.

The rainfall will move towards the Northern Cape on Thursday.

“The biggest concern is flooding as well as loss or degradation of agricultural plantings due to excessive rainfall. Daytime temperatures are also expected to be cooler this week which will contribute to a lower evaporation rate.”

ALSO READ: WATCH: Eloise continues to wreak havoc in Kruger Park, Limpopo

Meanwhile, the national and provincial governments in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal have activated relief interventions to assist communities affected by the cyclone.

The hardest-hit districts were in Vhembe and Mopani in Limpopo, Ehlanzeni in Mpumalanga, and those in the far-north in KwaZulu-Natal.

Government is now in the process of assessing the damage, with at least four people having died in the country.

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