Severe thunderstorms, flood warning issued for Monday afternoon

Following isolated thundershowers across a number of provinces in the country at the weekend, more weather alerts have pre-emptively been issued, with severe thunderstorms expected on Monday, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) confirmed.

SAWS issued a yellow level 2 alert for Free State, western Mpumalanga, southwestern Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, which were expected to bear the brunt of the thunderstorms.

The alert warns of “heavy rain leading to localised flooding of susceptible roads and low lying areas”, as well as “disruption to traffic”.

“Especially in the afternoon peak hours due to poor visibility, and strong winds that can cause structural damages to infrastructure can be expected over the southeastern parts of Limpopo, the northeastern parts of Mpumalanga, the southeastern parts of the Free State, the northeastern parts of the Eastern Cape, as well as the southern parts of KwaZulu-Natal this afternoon.”

Motorists were urged to drive carefully in the rainy weather, switch on headlamps and reduce speed, and avoid low water bridges.

ALSO READ: Storm season is here: surge in insurance claims after weekend rains

Home insurers all saw an increase in claims for damage caused by the storms over the northern parts of the country at the end of October, and warned that homeowners should take precautions now that the summer storm season had arrived.

Insurer Dialdirect has offered these tips to stay safe in adverse weather conditions:

• Check structures around your house for weak spots, clear debris from gutters, fasten items that could become deadly projectiles and cut away dead trees and branches.
• Heavy rains are often associated with lightning. Install surge protection plugs and/or unplug appliances before the storm arrives.
• If you are in an area prone to heavy hail, make sure that the structures around your home can handle the extra weight and that you are equipped to clear any build-up of hail. Reinforce structures where necessary.

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