“Day Turned to Night”: Durban Storm Turns Daytime Skies Black as Hail and Heavy Rain Hit, SA Reacts

• A powerful thunderstorm plunged Durban into near-total darkness in the middle of the day on 14 September 2026
• The storm brought torrential rain, lightning, and hail on a scale residents say they have not seen in years
• The Weather Hooligan shared footage of the dramatic skies, and South Africans flooded the comments with their stories

Durban residents got one of the most dramatic weather events in recent memory on 14 September 2026, when a powerful thunderstorm turned the afternoon sky pitch black and unleashed a barrage of hail across parts of the city.

The Weather Hooligan, a weather-focused Facebook page that regularly covers extreme South African weather, posted footage of the event after receiving clips from residents across the city. The video showed darkened skies, silhouetted trees and an eerie, almost nighttime stillness that belied the chaos unfolding beneath it.

What began as a developing storm rapidly intensified, with some areas reporting flooding within minutes of the rain starting. The hail that followed was described by many as some of the worst they had seen in years.

Read also

Gauteng weather: Cut-off low brings rain and colder temperatures this week

Bluff and Jacob's area hit hard

The southern suburbs took a direct hit. Bluff and Jacob's area experienced significant flooding in a short space of time, with the storm moving quickly before clearing just as fast. By the time it passed, the sun was already breaking through again, leaving streets soaked and residents stunned by how rapidly conditions had shifted.

The storm eventually tracked eastwards out over the Indian Ocean, dissipating as it moved away from the coast.

View the Facebook video below:

Mzansi reacts to the Durban darkness

South Africans had plenty to say about the storm on the page, with many drawing comparisons to similar events from decades past:

Wendy Jamieson said:

"Bluff and Jacob's area was hit quite hard. Flooding within a few minutes. And now the sun is shining again."

Jeanne Odendaal Treptow recalled:

"In 1993, Durban also had this type of storm. Around lunchtime it was dark as night with a huge storm."

Read also

Brick thrown at truck on N2 highway sparks fresh calls for bridge safety

Raksha Naidoo joked:

"Sun is shining... Like nothing happened 🤭"

Tootsie Gonasellin shared a personal memory:

"This happened 33 years ago when my daughter was born at 1.15pm. Day turned into night."

Komala Govender quipped:

"This weather seems like it's going through Menopause."

Misa Zyandar Deleki laughed:

"I was released from work, then boom, the sun is out 😂"

More Briefly News stories on the weather

• Severe weather warnings were issued for several provinces, with thunderstorms, flooding and damaging winds expected.
• Gauteng is expecting colder and wetter conditions this week as a cut-off low brings rain and cooler daytime temperatures.
• South Africa experienced warm spring weather before forecasts warned of heavy rain and strong winds in several provinces later in the week.

Source: Briefly News