Disaster teams prepare for floods and storms as SAWS issues warnings

Disaster teams prepare for floods and storms as SAWS issues warnings

As Newcastillians embrace the cooler weather, a looming threat of disruptive rainfall and potential flooding now hangs over large parts of KwaZulu-Natal. Such is the nature of the threat, disaster management teams are currently on high alert, bracing for the impact.

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On Sunday, 20 October 2024, Newcastillian News reported that the South African Weather Service (SAWS) had issued a Level 4 Warning for severe thunderstorms expected to affect Newcastle and neighbouring areas.

According to SAWS, while some areas in the summer rainfall region recently experienced their first spring thunderstorms, much of South Africa has enjoyed calm weather in recent days. However, this tranquil spell is set to end with the arrival of a cut-off low-pressure system, poised to impact the southern, central, and eastern provinces. This system began developing on Sunday, 20 October 2024 and is expected to persist until Tuesday, 22 October 2024.

This follows another Level 4 Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Newcastle and its surrounding areas for Monday, 21 October 2024. The storm is expected to cause significant disruption, with the threat persisting until Tuesday, 22 October 2024.

“Cut-off low-pressure systems are notorious for causing severe weather during the spring months, including heavy rainfall that can lead to flooding, as well as intense thunderstorms accompanied by hail and damaging winds,” explained the weather service.

SAWS has warned that the system will bring widespread and disruptive rainfall along the coastal regions and neighbouring areas of the Eastern Cape and the southern and central coastline of KwaZulu-Natal.

This rainfall could result in minor to significant flooding in some areas. Additionally, isolated severe thunderstorms are anticipated over the eastern and central interior regions, affecting large parts of KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, Gauteng, North West, and Mpumalanga during this period.

Furthermore, SAWS highlighted that the cut-off low began forming over the southwestern parts of the country on Sunday, while a stationary surface high-pressure system is channelling moisture into the southern and south-eastern regions. These interacting systems will result in widespread rainfall over various parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape until Tuesday, 22 October 2024.

Given the potential severity of the situation, SAWS has issued several impact-based warnings regarding the anticipated inclement weather. Although the thunderstorms spared Newcastle on Sunday, the weather service’s warnings continue to hang ominously over the city and other towns across KZN.

The impact-based warnings from SAWS are as follows:

  • Yellow Level 4 Warning: Severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours, leading to localised flooding of settlements and low-lying areas, could cause closures of some bridges and roads. Small hail and damaging winds that may affect informal and formal structures, homes, and vehicles are expected across most parts of KwaZulu-Natal, the extreme eastern Free State, and the extreme southern Highveld of Mpumalanga on Monday, 21 October 2024.
  • Yellow Level 2 Warning: Severe storms with heavy downpours could lead to localised flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas, and bridges. Large hailstones may cause localised damage to vehicles, houses, and informal structures, particularly due to strong, damaging winds. These conditions are expected over the extreme northeast of KZN, the eastern parts of North West and the Free State, Gauteng, the Mpumalanga Highveld, and the extreme southwest of Limpopo on Monday.

Though calm weather is predicted to return by Wednesday, 23 October 2024, as the cut-off low moves eastward from the southeastern coast, SAWS has confirmed that they will continue to monitor developments and issue updates as necessary.

Meanwhile, as SAWS keeps a vigilant eye on the evolving weather conditions, KZNCoGTA MEC, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, addressed the media to assure residents that disaster management teams have been deployed to high-risk areas across the province.

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“The weather conditions are very, very bad. We wish to caution motorists to be very careful on the roads. In all parts of KwaZulu-Natal, the inclement weather will be with us for the next few days, and we therefore urge extreme caution from our people. The Department of COGTA has dispatched disaster teams to be on standby in the event of any disaster that takes place, but prevention is better than cure,” cautioned MEC Buthelezi.

As disaster management teams remain on high alert and both SAWS and KZN COGTA issue stern warnings, what are your thoughts on the weather forecast? Share your views in the comment section below.

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