THE strong gale force winds have finally arrived in Durban and have already begun to wreak havoc – as predicted by the municipality earlier today.

A massive tree on Clarendon Drive in Durban North has snapped and collapsed onto the road – completely blocking traffic. The ‘storm’ is expected to last until Saturday.

Kyle van Reenen, of Crisis Medical, confirmed that nobody was injured during the incident.

Today in a statement the municipality warned that the public could expect strong winds of 40km/h to  70km/h.

“This could result in damage to structures, cause trees to fall and result in traffic congestion where these impact on roadways,” said eThekwini Municipality’s Communications Head, Tozi Mthethwa.

The  strong winds and expected large ocean swells also swayed the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board to remove all of the shark safety gear to prevent damage.

All residents are advised to be cautious during this period and stay indoors for safety purposes.

Emergency calls should be logged to 031 361 0000.