Snow and Storms Disrupt Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal: Motorists Urged to Exercise Caution

• Key mountain passes, including Penhoek, Barkley, and Wapadsberg, which were shut down, along with parts of the N2 in Gqeberha, are now open again
• Earlier today, the Eastern Cape Transport Department issued a strong advisory for motorists to exercise extreme caution due to significant snowfall causing hazardous conditions and road closures
• Motorists were warned to prepare for delays and potential mudslides due to the combination of heavy snow and recent rains

Reitumetse Makwea, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Pretoria, South Africa, has covered court and crime-related news at The Citizen and Rekord Noweto for over five years.

All the mountain passes in the Eastern Cape that were closed due to heavy snowfall have now been reopened.

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Arrive Alive issued a directive in a statement stating that snowfall has ceased and the snow on the roads has melted.

However, the roads are still hazardous, being wet and slippery, so motorists are advised to drive with extreme caution.

See the post below:

Roads were previously closed

The Eastern Cape Transport Department has issued a strong advisory for motorists to exercise extreme caution due to significant snowfall affecting several parts of the province.

The heavy snowfall in multiple parts of the country has led to the closure of multiple key mountain passes, disrupting travel and posing severe safety risks.

Road Closures and Hazardous Conditions

Unathi Binqose, the department's spokesperson, highlighted the Penhoek Pass on the N6 between Komani and Jamestown.

Binqose told SABC News that the Barkley Pass on the R58 and the Wapadsberg Pass on the R61 between Graaff-Reinet and Nxuba (formerly known as Cradock) are closed due to the snow.

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Additionally, the N2 between John Tallant and M4 offramps in Gqeberha has been shut down due to debris from high tide waves.

See the post below:

He emphasised that motorists should prepare for delays on these routes, citing the combination of snow and recent heavy rains that have made the soil waterlogged, raising concerns about potential mudslides.

“The heavy snowfalls that have forced the closure of these three passes have added another dimension to the already challenging driving conditions on Eastern Cape roads due to the past couple of days’ heavy rainfalls that left the soil sacculated with fears of mudslides in some areas.

"We are keeping an eye on other mountain passes for snow and possible mudslides, and we are calling on you as the road user to be extra vigilant and respect the restrictions there for you now.”

Detailed road closures

The specific roads closed due to the adverse weather conditions include:

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• N6: Queenstown (Komani) at Penhoek Pass towards James Calata
• R58: Barkley East at Barkley Pass towards Khowa (Khowa)
• R58: Barkley towards Lady Grey
• R61: Cradock towards Graaff-Reinet
• N6: Maletswai towards James Calata (only cars can pass)
• R67: Whittlesea at Nico Malan Pass towards Seymour (very slippery, with closure imminent due to snow)

Tornado system hits KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africans scared

Briefly News reported that South Africans were fearful after a tornado struck the KwaZulu-Natal province, and it was caught on video.

Two men were in a car, and the clip shows one looking at the tornado.

Netizens were worried about the weather, and some believed the weather represented how bad things were in the country.

Source: Briefly News