Level 1 warning for severe thunderstorms in parts of Eastern Cape

The SA Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a yellow Level 1 warning for severe thunderstorms over the eastern interior of the Eastern Cape on Tuesday.

This may result in heavy downpours leading to localised flooding resulting in damage to property or infrastructure, and flooding of roads/bridges and low lying areas, .

The weather service said: “Yellow Level 2 Warning for waves leading to difficulty in navigation at sea is expected between Cape Point and Plettenberg Bay tomorrow afternoon spreading to Alexander Bay.”

While wet weather persists throughout the country, the SAWS on Monday issued a level four warning for Gauteng and Mpumalanga. 

According to SAWS, strong winds, heavy downpours and large hail were expected to hit the provinces during the day on Monday. 

This includes parts of Middelburg, Mkhondo, Standerton, Machadodorp, Johannesburg and Pretoria.  

Weather advisory for other provinces

Gauteng: Partly cloudy and warm with isolated afternoon thundershowers. The expected UVB sunburn index: High

Mpumalanga: Cloudy in the morning with fog patches along the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated thundershowers, except in the Lowveld where it will be hot.

Limpopo: Cloudy in the morning, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated thundershowers, except in the Lowveld and Limpopo Valley.

North West: Partly cloudy and warm with isolated afternoon thundershowers.

Free State: Partly cloudy and cool to warm, with isolated afternoon thundershowers but scattered along the Lesotho boarder.

Northern Cape: Fine in the west, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated afternoon thundershowers in the east. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south to south-westerly.

Western Cape: Cloudy in the south-west with a chance of light rain from late morning as well as east of George from the evening, otherwise partly cloudy and warm, but fine over the interior in the morning where it will be hot to very hot.

The wind along the coast will be light Westerly To North-Westerly, but moderate to fresh south of Cape Columbine, becoming strong south of Cape Point from late morning and south-westerly along the south-west coast where it will reach near-gale in places towards late afternoon into early evening. It will become moderate south to south-westerly from late afternoon along the south-west coast.

The expected UVB sunburn index: Very High

Western half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy in places at first, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the northern interior.

The wind along the coast will be light to moderate north-easterly, becoming fresh to strong south-westerly from the west midmorning.

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy with fog patches along the eastern escarpment early morning, otherwise partly cloudy and hot, with scattered thundershowers in the afternoon but isolated along the Wild coast.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh north-easterly, reaching strong in places.

KwaZulu-Natal: Partly cloudy and warm with isolated afternoon thundershowers in the west and south-west. The wind along the coast will be moderate easterly to north-easterly, becoming fresh in the south by afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index: Very High

ALSO READ: IFP blames KZN flood deaths on ANC not providing rural infrastructure

A number of people have lost their lives, livelihoods and homes, notably in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, where disaster relief efforts were in full swing. 

The Witness reports it will cost more than R270 million to fix the damage caused by recent inclement weather in KZN’s uMngeni municipality. 

In Ladysmith this past weekend, heavy rains led to the region’s entire CBD being under water, wreaking havoc for motorists and businesses. 

Flash floods were reported in several residential areas and villages in the Alfred Duma municipality, and the Ezakheni water treatment works in the uThukela municipality is currently unable to supply water to communities due to high water turbidity, Ladysmith Gazette reported. 

Many residents have also been left homeless. 

In the Free State and North West, farmers were struggling with the latest bout of storms. 

Agricultural organisation TLU SA confirmed that more than 6,000 hectares of crops between Christiana and Hertzogville have been damaged, and in some cases destroyed. 

TLU SA has submitted a proposal to the Free State Department of Agriculture, urging it to declare afflicted agricultural communities as disaster areas. 

Independent agricultural meteorologist Johan van den Berg said many maize districts, especially in the Free State, suffered permanent damage.