Durban - The South African Weather Service is warning of severe thunderstorms that are expected over parts of Northern KwaZulu-Natal later on Thursday.
It comes as authorities were searching for a woman who was swept away by a river in Umlazi that burst its banks due to heavy rains and a 10-year-old Harding boy who was rushed to hospital after being struck by lightning.
On Wednesday residents of Pietermaritzburg experienced hail the size of tennis balls.
Weather forecaster Ayanda Nsele said there was a 60 percent chance of showers and thunder showers over the province on Thursday.
“On Friday it will mainly be rain, no so much thunder showers over the entire province with a 30 percent chance of rain,” she said.
Nsele said the weather service wanted to caution people in Northern KZN to be on the look out for a severe weather system that was expected to pass over on Thursday afternoon.
Mop up operations are currently underway in KZN following last night’s heavy rains.
This was according to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila who said the hail storm affected parts of Msunduzi and the Midlands. It caused major damage to homes and infrastructure and resulted in blackouts in a number of suburbs, he said.
“Technicians from the municipality are now working on the ground to restore the grid. In Umlazi F Section, a woman is missing and is believed to have been swept away when crossing the local river,” said Mzila.
He said it’s alleged that the woman was apparently part of a group of three people who were crossing the Umlazi River when they lost their footing and were overcome by the gushing water.
“Two of them were able to make their way to safety while the woman still remains unaccounted for. In the Bhudlu area in Harding a 10-year-old was rushed to hospital after he was struck by lightning”.
Daily News