Durban - More than 42mm of rain pelted Durban from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning with more rain expected at the weekend, the SA Weather service predicted.
This as the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs placed disaster management teams on alert to deal with incidents of flooding and swollen rivers across the city and province.
The heavy rains which were expected throughout Wednesday was expected to ease slightly on Thursday but the weather service said people should be on the watch for severe thunderstorms.
According to the weather service, the heavy rains is the result of "shore moisture".
SA Weather forecaster Tokelo Chiloane this shore moisture will result in, on and off showers and thundershowers across the province until Monday.
On Wednesday, the weather service issued heavy rain warnings for four areas in KwaZulu-Natal that are expected to cause localised flooding in parts of the eThekwini Metro.
The warnings were for Stanger, St Faith’s, Paddock, Ndwedwe.
Chiloane said they expected showers over the next six days would mostly be in the afternoon.
On Wednesday there was also a possibility of heavy rains in the Harry Gwala, Ugu, uMgungundlovu, Ilembe and King Cetshwayo districts.
“Tomorrow (Thursday) there’s a 60 percent chance of showers and thundershowers in KZN, this is because of an upper system that is currently over western parts of the province,” said Chiloane.
Chiloane explained that these were normal shower systems that followed after a recent cold front that was not in the southern parts of the country which were causing the onshore moisture that had led to the heavy rain.
“In the past 24 hours, Durban has had 44.2mm of rain while Ladysmith has had 35mm of rain. The rain is going to cause localised flooding due to the already saturated ground,” she said.
She said that cooler temperatures were expected across the province that would range in the 20s over the next two days.
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on Tuesday night placed disaster management teams on alert following the warning issued by the SA weather Service.
"We have placed our teams on alert as inclement weather conditions continue to pose a serious risk to residents in our province. Our teams are monitoring areas that are prone to flooding and will be able to respond to emergencies," said MEC Sipho Hlomuka.
He appealed to residents to exercise great caution and to remain vigilant at all times as the threat posed to human life by heavy rains was increasing.
“We also call upon parents to ensure that pupils utilise safe routes to get to school,” he said.