POLOKWANE – The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has placed both Limpopo and Mpumalanga on an orange alert level as more heavy rain is expected in the eastern part of both provinces.
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In a press statement released by the weather service, forecasters say the rain could lead to flooding in certain areas that are still saturated from Tropical Depression Eloise which brought much needed, but destructive rains, last week.
SAWS’ weather models indicate that areas east of Limpopo will receive more than 50mm of rain in 24 hours.
“This rainfall is expected to fall in the evening of Monday, 1 February to Tuesday, 2 February,” the statement read.
As a result, an orange warning for disruptive rainfall has been issued which could result in flooding in low-lying areas, isolated incidents of breaching earth dam walls, general disruption to traffic and basic services, flooding of roads and settlements (both formal and informal), dangeroud driving conditions on tarred and deas roads as well as danger to life).
The weather service concluded by advising the public to monitor social media for any significant changes in the weather forecast, adding that the country has received significant amounts of rainfall in the past week, and due to the high soil moisture content, some areas only require little amount of rain for flooding to occur.
