JHB emergency services ready for cold front

The South African Weather Service said on Tuesday a cold front moving over the western part of the country will bring with it a 60% chance of rain and thundershowers to Gauteng. 
 
Temperatures in the province are also expected to drop to between 10 °C and 13 °C between on Friday and Saturday. 
 
Johannesburg EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi says people should be extra cautious when using candles, heaters and paraffin stoves as they try to keep warm.
 
"It is usually people who stay in informal settlements who are most vulnerable when a cold front hits. Many of the informal settlements are in low lying areas and therefore vulnerable to flash floods. So we advise residents to move onto higher ground when it is safe to do so," he urges.
 
Johannesburg EMS also have a rainfall monitoring system which helps them disseminate information when people need to be evacuated due to flooding.
 
"This device is placed in the most critical areas prone to flooding. With the help of the weather service and our automatic service we are able to respond and help people evacuate," Mulaudzi says.
 
Johannesburg has around 148 informal settlements and these will be monitored by emergency services as the cold front approaches.

 

(File Photo: Gallo Images)

Edited By: Laila Majiet