Rain expected to clear up from Wednesday

It’s raining in many parts of the country with weather warnings of heavy downpours, thunder and disruptive winds.

South African Weather Service communications manager Hannelee Doubell said the recent rain wasn’t extraordinary. The country experienced similar weather last year in April.

“It’s a steep upper air with a ridge which will form a cut-off low to the east tomorrow – typical of autumn systems,” she said.

Week ahead

Vox Weather forecaster Annette Venter said the rain will clear up during the week.

From Sunday until yesterday, 69mm of rain was measured in Graskop, 42mm in Witbank, 51mm in Thabazimbi, 51mm in Durban South, 65mm in Port Edward and 60mm at the Richards Bay Airport.

Venter warned more disruptive rain and thunderstorms could likely lead to localised flooding on the coast in KwaZulu-Natal, including Durban and northern Wild Coast.

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A yellow level 2 warning of disruptive rain resulting in localised flooding of susceptible formal and informal settlements or roads, low-lying areas and bridges in the escarpment and Highveld of Mpumalanga, the eastern parts of Free State, the northwestern parts of the KwaZulu-Natal, the southern coast and adjacent interior of the KwaZulu-Natal as well as the northeastern coast and adjacent interior of the Eastern Cape, was issued, Venter said.

A yellow level 4 warning was also issued for disruptive rain resulting in localised flooding of susceptible formal and informal settlements or roads, low-lying areas and bridges in the extreme southeastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

“It looks like heavy downpours of rain, but it’s not like the more than 300mm of rain we had last year. We have only recorded about 100mm along the South Coast.”

Venter said the rain was expected to clear up from tomorrow, with more rain forecast in the Lowveld and Mpumalanga.

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On Thursday, a cold front was expected to hit the Western Cape.

“The rain had nothing to do with the snow, or vice versa. The snow was due to the cut-off low on Friday south from Cape Town,” Venter said.

Rain good or bad?

Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa (TLU) chair Bennie van Zyl said it was difficult to say when rain was good or bad for farmers. Because farmers planted and harvested at different times, some needed more rain, while others needed dry conditions to harvest, he said.

“The current rain has some challenges for farmers still harvesting soya beans because ripe beans have their challenges.”

Van Zyl said maize farmers were not affected by the current rain.

“They might have to wait a day or three to continue harvesting, but it’s not the end of the world.”

The late rains were generally beneficial for field feeding for the winter season and for the underground [fogging] systems, he said.

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“Yes, some farmers will have some damages but others in warmer areas were grateful for the extra rain,” he said.

Free State farmer Jakkals le Roux said they had a good amount of rain over the weekend. “In our area, we measured between 25mm and 50mm in the past 24 hours,” he said.

Le Roux said it rained softly and there was no damage or flooding to report as yet.

“We are always grateful for the rain and will never say no to more rain.”

– marizkac@citizen.co.za