No major disruptions to operations, says Eskom
Cyclone Eloise has at this point not had any major negative impact on Eskom operations. With the heavy rains continuing across Mpumalanga, Limpopo and parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Eskom continues to monitor the storm and its impact on operations.
On Sunday night the storm passed through the transmission lines from Cahora Bassa in Mozambique without any incident. The high-risk sections of the transmission lines were reinforced after similar storms in previous years. However, the risk remains with the possible flooding of rivers and uprooting of trees in the areas surrounding these lines.
Operations at the power stations continue as normal, although Eskom teams will continue to monitor the progress of the storm and impact of the heavy rains. Typically, heavy rainfall for four or fewer days does not pose a significant threat to power station operations, but continuous heavy rainfall for more than four days does hamper coal handling at the power stations and the mines supplying them.
Power lines in some parts of Mpumalanga, Limpopo and northern KwaZulu-Natal experienced localised outages as a result of trees and poles falling on power line districts.
ALSO READ: Eskom prepared for Eloise
“Consumers in these communities are requested to be patient as our teams are working as quickly as they can within the safety parameters during the storms to restore electricity. Customers are requested to treat all electricity infrastructure as live and to report any fallen lines or pylons, overhead power cables that may be damaged, collapsed or low-hanging as a result of the stormy weather conditions, vandalism and illegal connections.” the statement said.
Any damage can be reported on 086-003-7566.
Eskom also urges public to use electricity sparingly during the storm as to avoid unnecessary pressure on the system.
