SAWS issues warnings and offer advice against possible floods
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued an orange level-nine warning of disruptive rain for eastern Mpumalanga, northern KwaZulu-Natal and northern and eastern Limpopo.
The warning is due to a likelihood of severe storms impacting these areas.
Disruptive rain can have the following impact:
• Widespread flooding of roads and settlements
• Danger to life (fast-flowing streams)
• Large communities not being accessible for prolonged periods, and displacement of affected communities
• Widespread damage to property and buildings, and loss of livelihoods and livestock
• Major roads and bridges being damaged or washed away • Widespread, prolonged disruption to essential services
• Widespread mudslides, rockfalls and soil erosion
• Widespread incidents of communicable diseases • Breakage of dam walls • Widespread damage to mud-based/makeshift houses/structures
• Widespread disruption of access to drinking water and damage to crops.
SAWS has asked the public to stay indoors and off the roads, and to avoid crossing rivers and swollen streams where water has risen above ankle-height.
The weather service said to abandon any vehicle trapped during a flood and to climb to higher ground. Move valuables to a place above the expected flood level in buildings for safety.
SAWS also issued a yellow level-four warning of damaging winds for northern Limpopo and northern KZN, which indicates a low likelihood of a medium impact on these areas.
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