DURBAN - Severe thunderstorms are expected in most parts of KwaZulu-Natal from Monday afternoon into the evening.
South African Weather Service (Saws) forecaster Thandiwe Gumede said the thunderstorms were expected on Monday, with scattered showers and thundershowers for most of the province and the alert for severe thunderstorms is for the western and southern parts of the province.
“It includes areas like Newcastle, Ladysmith, Mooi River, Estcourt, Underberg, Ixopo, Pietermaritzburg, Harding, Margate, Port Shepstone, Scottburgh and up to eThekwini, that is the warning that we have out for today (Monday),” Gumede said.
She said most of the storms were expected on Monday afternoon, persisting into the evening.
“The storms are expected to be accompanied by strong winds, hail, excessive lightning and a possibility of downpours in some places,” Gumede said.
The Saws warning said severe thunderstorms were expected to result in localised damage to settlements and infrastructure over open areas, due to strong winds. Severe lightning may result in localised fires, injuries to humans and livestock, and localised damage to vehicles, due to hail. Heavy downpours may lead to localised flooding.
In a recent parliamentary written question, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy said the east coast of South Africa was likely to become more affected by climate-related weather events.
“The expected increase in the occurrence of storms and cyclones in northern KwaZulu-Natal can increase the damage through direct wind impacts,” Creecy said.
“The department is partnering with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research on the green book, and part of the implementation will include identifying possible areas that require long-term adaptation measures to facilitate and achieve sustainable coastal development in South Africa.”
To comment on this story, send a WhatsApp message to our BackChat column on 071 485 7995.
Daily News