Sunshine and blue skies forecast for Durban July weekend

Despite the stormy weather in KwaZulu-Natal, including a landspout sighting, sunshine and blue skies are forecast for this weekend.

Hollywoodbets Durban July spokesperson Graeme Hawkins said it was all systems go for the R5-million race at Greyville on Saturday. Hawkins said a full house of about 50 000 fans was expected.

“Throw into the mix, the weather is expected to be brilliant sunshine and a pleasant 22oC with very little wind,” he said.

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The eThekwini municipality has set up an emergency joint operations team to coordinate the response to the heavy winds and rain in some parts of Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu areas and Folweni on Monday afternoon.

No injuries or fatalities have been recorded SAnews.gov.za reported.

Durban rain

The KZN department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs reports Margate and Port Edward have recorded rainfall of 89mm and 49mm respectively since Monday.

South African Weather Service communications manager Hannelee Doubell said some road networks and mountain passes connecting communities on the southern Drakensberg in the Eastern Cape could be closed tomorrow following potentially disruptive snow on roads and railway lines.

“Areas of potential impacts include Molteno, Barkly East, Lady Grey and Matatiele, and there could be isolated loss of livestock in this northern region,” she said.

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Doubell said the weather service in Lesotho had issued a forecast for bitterly cold temperatures with heavy snowfall over Lesotho and these conditions may spill over to QwaQwa in the northeastern Free State.

“These conditions are expected to result from the passage of a cut-off low which is currently situated along the west coast of the country.

“Very cold temperatures have already set in on the western regions of the Free State and North West provinces,” she said.

Doubell warned the bursts of showers and excessive lightning may result in localised damage to infrastructure and settlements, while isolated thunderstorms could produce strong, damaging winds over those regions.

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Vox weather forecaster Annette Botha said a cut-off weather system was responsible for the showers, thunderstorms and extremely cold temperatures in the country. Botha said a coastal low over the north of Durban was responsible for the heavy rain over the southern coast of KZN.

“That same system caused the [landspout] north of Durban,” she said.

Landspouts not common in SA

Botha explained landspouts were not unknown in South Africa, with at least three sightings per year, especially in that area because of the highly unstable values over KZN.

“It was not a mini cyclone. There is a massive difference between a cyclone and a [landspout],” she said.

“A tornado is a twist of high-speed wind that forms from a severe thunderstorm.”

A cyclone is a large air mass that rotates around a strong centre of low atmospheric pressure that forms in the tropics and warm ocean waters. Botha said the current cold in the west and interior of the country was due to a cut-off low.

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“This system has moved east and spread the cold to North West, Free State and Gauteng and will remain for the rest of the week,” she said.

Temperatures were expected to recover and rise from Saturday to 20oC.

– marizkac@citizen.co.za