Centurion residents affected by flooding
Various businesses have been affected by the flooding in Centurion and the South African Weather Services says the rain might continue to next week Friday.
More rain and flooding is expected in Pretoria, as the rain might continue to next weekend, the South African Weather Services said. According to the Weather Services, the wet conditions are common in the first few months of the year. “It is not unusual to have such heavy rain, as it usually occurs this time of the year. The continuous rain is due to warm tropical moisture coming from central Africa, as the heat and moisture is caused by the equator,” forecaster Bransby Bulo told the Rekord.
Centurion is soaked in water, as various areas are heavily flooded, resulting in road closures and extreme traffic. Jackie Viljoen, a Doringkloof resident, said she spent hours in traffic just to drop her children off at the school in Wierda Park. “We only stay 20 minutes away from the school, but taking my kids to school and back has been a nightmare lately. This week I have been about 30 minutes to an hour late for work every morning and I work in Lyttelton Manor, which is not far from my home.”
Centulite, a fuel and lubricant supplier based in The Reeds, has had business interrupted, as their telephone lines have been out for three days. According to director Jacques Claasen, the cause is due to a flooded manhole. “We contacted a technician, who told us that the lines cannot be connected as the telephone line manhole is flooded. Our ADSL line is also out, therefore we are unable to email our clients to inform them about the phone issue. This results in our clients losing interest in a deal, as they fail to get hold of us,” said Claasen.
However, Dros Fried Chicken in Centurion has increased their turnover by 35% during the rainy week. “We have had more than 20 customers saying they have had a long day and are frustrated by the traffic, making it hard for them to get time to cook when they get home. The load-shedding has also contributed to this,” said owner Jacque Van Zyl. Cloudy conditions and scattered showers and thundershowers are expected for Friday and Saturday. Heavier rainfall will continue as from Monday. “We are monitoring the situation of the rain at this stage. Residents should be alert of flooding and road damage such as potholes,” Bulo warned.
