Durban - Strong winds gusting up to 90km/h swept across the coastal areas of the province on Monday, damaging houses, uprooting trees and injuring at least one person.
The gusting winds were reported on the North and South coasts with reports of damage in Durban and Richards Bay.
Aslam Sardiwalla, a weather forecaster with the SA Weather Service, said the winds would ease only slightly on Tuesday.
“Today (Monday), we had winds averaging around 60-70km/h and gusting up to 90km/h along the coastal areas.
Sardiwalla said the winds were not strong enough to cause substantial damage but said that weak structures could be compromised.
Netcare 911 reported that a woman was injured when she was hit on the head by a pane of glass after it broke off the roof of toilets on the Durban beachfront.
Chris Botha of Netcare 911 said she sustained a cut to her head.
“After medics treated her at the scene, they transported her to a Durban hospital for care.”
There was significant damage to the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in Anton Lembede Street in Durban’s CBD.
Bricks and part of the ceiling board fell on to the stairway after landing on the veranda.
Streets in the CBD were also littered with paper and plastic blown in by the wind.
Part of a large tree broke off and crashed to the ground in Bulwer Road, Glenwood.
eThekwini Municipality spokeswoman, Tozi Mthethwa, called on the public to be cautious. Hoax messages were allegedly sent to city residents telling them to stay indoors.
“The disaster management and emergency control unit did not issue an advisory regarding gale-force winds and did not receive one from the SA Weather Services either,” she said.
She said the city’s beaches had been closed and bathing had been banned.
Mthethwa said: “Some parts of Durban are without electricity. A light pole has fallen in Rutherford Street, South Beach, due to the heavy winds.
She said the city had tree teams on standby to assist if needed.
Mdu Ncalane, a spokesman for the Mhlathuze Municipality in the Richards Bay area, told The Mercury that at least 10 houses had been damaged on Monday. Roofs were blown off houses in eSikhaleni’s Ngwelezane township, and a tree had fallen on the roof of St Catherine’s School in Empangeni. No one had been injured.
“The City of uMhlathuze disaster centre attended to 14 fire incidents,” said Ncalane.
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs spokesman Msawakhe Mayisela said they had not received reports of any disasters, but said they were ready to assist if needed.
The Mercury
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