Gauteng, Mpumalanga Residents Warned As SA Weather Service Issues Alert for Severe Thunderstorms

• The SA Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a severe weather warning for Gauteng and Mpumalanga from Friday
• The southern parts of the provinces will experience heavy rains in the afternoon, likely causing localised flooding
• The storms will move over the northern parts of Gauteng and the western parts of Mpumalanga in the evening hours

JOHANNESBURG — A weather warning has been issued for Gauteng and Mpumalanga after the SA Weather Service (SAWS) noted a severe thunderstorm yellow level 2 warning from Friday, 8 November.

This is as heavy rains came down early at the start of the weekend.

In recent weeks, strong winds and heavy rains have battered parts of the country, in many cases causing flash floods, and led to some metros, including Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, declaring emergency states of disaster.

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Weather warning for Gauteng, Mpumalanga

In its warning on 7 November, the weather service flagged Gauteng and Mpumalanga's western and southern parts.

"[On Thursday] afternoon, [likely] thunderstorms will develop from late in the day over the southern parts of both Gauteng and Mpumalanga.

"In the evening hours, the storms will move over the northern parts of Gauteng and the western parts of Mpumalanga,” said SAWS.

Amid expected heavy rains of between 30mm and 40mm in some areas, scattered rainfall between 15mm and 25mm will likely occur.

"The heavy downpour could [see] localised flooding in prone areas, leading to localised flooding of prone roads and low-lying areas. Localised flooding of informal settlements is also expected," said SAWS.

Rainfall 'significant event' for the Bay

In related weather news, Briefly News reported that heavy downpours battered Nelson Mandela Bay as flash floods wreaked havoc, causing week-long water and power disruptions from Sunday, 20 October 2024.

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This saw thousands of residents, notably in township areas in Gqeberha and Kariega, evacuated from their homes and placed in shelters, with the humanitarian non-profit Gift of the Givers spearheading aid efforts.

By Friday, 25 October, only three people had lost their lives in the weather disaster, according to municipal officials in the city.

Gqeberha-based retired SA Weather Service (SAWS) consultant Garth Sampson, known as the Weather Guru — now operating WG and Associates, a private weather advisory firm — gave Briefly News a blow-by-blow synopsis of the weather event as it began to unravel at the top of the week.

Source: Briefly News