Disaster management teams have been placed on alert after weather forecasters predicted low temperatures, snowfalls and heavy rains for this week.
KZN MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Nomusa Dube-Ncube said in a statement on Tuesday that the department had issued a weather alert to communities regarding the development of the intense weather system, the effects of which were expected to be felt from Wednesday.
“The province has traditionally borne the brunt of inclement weather conditions that routinely leave a trail of death and destruction in their wake through localised flooding, hail storms, lightning strikes and veld fires, all of which tend to cause millions of rand in damages to public infrastructure and private property.”
READ:
She said the inclement weather was expected to affect almost all of South Africa and disaster management teams had been placed on standby to deal with any eventualities that could arise from the deteriorating weather conditions.
“We are urging all residents of KZN to be cautious as many of our communities will be affected by the expected cold, including snowfall, and the reduced visibility on the roads as a result of this.
READ:
We urge all those who are driving to take the necessary precautions and postpone all unnecessary journeys in poor weather conditions.”
The department also urged parents to ensure that their children travelled to school along safe routes and did not cross low-lying areas which were susceptible to flooding.