Unizulu meteorologist explains phenomenon behind Tongaat tornado

KZN has endured some extreme weather events in recent years, and Monday’s tornado that caused much devastation in Tongaat and surrounding areas was no different.

While affected citizens pick up the pieces of this short-lived yet destructive event, and churches and community outreach organisations start food, blanket and clothing drives, University of Zululand (Unizulu) lecturer and meteorologist Nkosinathi Xulu confirms that it was indeed a tornado, and explains the phenomenon as well as the atmospheric requirements for one to form.

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“Tornadoes are low-scale weather systems that occur in environments that need to have unstable convection or atmospheric instability, thunderstorm occurrence and vortex (this gives its spin),” he said.

“These systems are very rare and are an extension of a thunderstorm on the surface/ground. They require a vortex that allows for their rotation in either direction (as there is no effect of the Coriolis force).

“Since they are low-scale weather systems, they tend to last for a couple of minutes. In this case, the cut-off low weather system aloft, which caused havoc in the Eastern Cape, had moved and reached KZN, creating this unstable environment and fulfilling all the conditions required for the occurrence of a tornado.

“Unfortunately, when they occur their devastation can be massive and detrimental,” said Xulu.

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