PRETORIA - The Tshwane Emergency Services on Monday has cautioned community members to prioritise safety after severe thunderstorms accompanied by hail-damaged roofs and uprooted trees in parts of Pretoria over the weekend.
According to the South African Weather Service, a further warning of isolated thunderstorms are expected with low risk of localised flooding over the southern parts due to the already saturated ground from the past rainfall.
“The weather service predicts scattered showers and thundershowers with some of the storms expected to be severe, with damaging winds on 10 and 11 November,” said Tshwane Emergency Services’ Thabo Mabaso.
“The predicted impact of the storms might include flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying bridges that will make traveling difficult, and informal settlements that have the potential to displace some of the informal dwellers.”
Mabaso warned that trees might be uprooted due to the wind, considering that the ground is already wet in most places.
“This might result in damage to infrastructure and proprieties, as well as danger to humans due to flying debris. Very isolated thunderstorms are expected on Thursday; otherwise no rainfall is expected from Friday until Sunday,” he said.
“We call upon residents to remain vigilant and consider their safety as priority during this rainy season.”
Mabaso said over the weekend, Tshwane Emergency Services’ disaster management officials were dispatched to a house in Soshanguve Block L and the Soshanguve Police Station barracks where roofs were affected by the storms.
“The officials issued relief to the affected family in the form of blankets and plastic sheeting. The department sends out a word of appreciation to the members of the community who had already helped cover the affected house with a polyethylene tent,” he said.
“The family had already made alternative accommodation arrangements for the affected people and the affected members at the police barracks were accommodated on the premises.”
He said firefighters had to cut off trees that had been uprooted by the storm to clear the blocked
R80/Bushveld Road near the Soshanguve police station and the magistrate’s court.
The Tshwane Emergency Services Department called on residents to use the toll free number 107 to report the emergency incidents.
ANA