Pretoria residents warned to brace for more severe storms
More rain and severe storms are headed for Pretoria.
As if the storms Tshwane and the rest of South Africa have already faced weren’t bad enough, residents are now being warned of more rain and severe weather on the way.
Forecasters have cautioned that this may include potentially dangerous conditions in the coming days.
This follows severe rains and hailstorms that hit the city over the weekend and on Monday, 1 December.
The weekend storm was accompanied by heavy rainfall and hail, causing localised damage across regions 1, 2, 3 and 5, and affecting households, infrastructure and roadways.
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On Monday, severe winds and heavy rainfall also caused a roof to collapse, resulting in one fatality.
The Emergency Services Department (EMS) responded to several calls related to the storm.
One of the calls involved the fatality after the roof collapsed due to strong winds and hail.
"The Emergency Services Department, together with the Regional Operations Coordination Department, are currently on the ground coordinating efforts to ensure the clearing of roads, removing and cutting of trees to restore accessibility, and assisting residents dealing with infrastructure damage and flooded households," EMS spokesperson Nana Radebe-Kgiba said.
Warning for more severe rain and storms
The South African Weather Service has urged the public to take weather warnings seriously, as more severe rains and thunderstorms are expected.
Weather warnings are crucial in reducing the risk of injury, loss of life or property damage.
Residents are encouraged to:
- Monitor updates from official sources;
- Seek shelter when thunderstorms approach;
- Move vehicles under cover where possible;
- Avoid driving through flooded roads; and
- Report fallen trees, flooding or damage to municipal authorities.
"Current climate trends and seasonal forecasts indicate a possible future increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events across the eastern parts of South Africa, including Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. This includes heavy rainfall and more frequent severe thunderstorms."
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Weather updates for Tuesday, 2 December
Yellow Level 4 Warning: Severe Thunderstorms
Severe thunderstorms may result in:
- Localised flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas and bridges
- Large amounts of small hail
- Strong, damaging winds
Areas affected: Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the south-western and south-eastern parts of Limpopo.
Yellow Level 2 Warning: Severe Thunderstorms
Severe thunderstorms may cause:
- Localised flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas and bridges
- Large amounts of small hail
- Strong winds
Areas affected: KwaZulu-Natal, eastern and central parts of the Free State and North West, northern Eastern Cape, central parts of Limpopo and the Mpumalanga Highveld.
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