National Disaster Declared Across Six Provinces After Severe Weather Leaves Trail of Destruction

• A national disaster has been officially classified across six South African provinces following a week of extreme weather
• The affected provinces are the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, North West, Northern Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga
• At least four people have died as a result of the severe weather, including a social worker in the Western Cape

Nerissa Naidoo, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, previously worked as an editor, content creator, researcher, and ghostwriter before joining the team.

SOUTH AFRICA - Six provinces have been placed under a national disaster classification after a brutal stretch of severe weather tore through communities across the country. The National Disaster Management Centre announced on 10 May 2026, following a full assessment of the damage.

This was caused by terrible conditions that included heavy rain, flooding, thunderstorms, strong winds and even snowfall in some of the affected areas. The Western Cape, Eastern Cape, North West, Northern Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga are all affected, with homes, infrastructure, and the environment taking a serious hit across all six regions.

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Government called to act

The head of the National Disaster Management Centre called on all three spheres of government to ramp up support for disaster management teams on the ground and make sure contingency plans are solid.

The national executive has been handed the job of coordinating and managing the disaster under existing legislation and emergency plans, and government departments have been told to get relief and response efforts moving without delay.

The government has also urged communities in flood-affected areas to stay alert and take precautions as more rain is expected in parts of the country. People in low-lying or flood-prone areas are being advised to move to higher ground, avoid crossing flooded roads, bridges, or low-water crossings and to keep a close eye on weather updates from the South African Weather Service.

The public can reach out to their local municipal disaster management centres, the nearest police station, or call national emergency numbers if they face any immediate threats.

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Lives lost and widespread damage

At least four people have died because of the extreme weather, among them a social worker in the Western Cape. The full scale of the damage to homes and infrastructure is still being assessed as provincial and local disaster management teams continue to work through the affected areas.

Communities are also being warned to avoid contact with floodwaters where possible, as the water may be contaminated with sewage, oil, or other dangerous substances and could carry electrical current from downed power lines.

More on severe weather stories

• Twenty people who refused to evacuate the Gamtoos Valley in the Eastern Cape on 7 May 2026 found themselves trapped by rising floodwaters.
• Parts of the Northern Cape were blanketed in an early winter snowfall that had families building snowmen.
• Briefly News also reported on a woman in Vryburg, North West, who captured the shocking extent of the flooding in her neighbourhood on TikTok, and the video left South Africans stunned.

Source: Briefly News