Pretoria residents should brace as the SA Weather Services (SAWS) issued a level 4 warning on Thursday for disruptive rain.

The SAWS said the warning is in place until midnight on Thursday.

It warned that possible impacts might include:

• Flooding of roads, formal and informal settlements.
• Some communities may be temporarily inaccessible/cut-off.
• Major disruption of traffic flow due to major roads being flooded or closed.
• Possible damage to roads and bridges.
• Disruptions to municipal service, such as water and electricity.

“If possible stay indoors and off the roads, avoid crossing rivers and swollen streams where water is above your ankles.

“If trapped in a vehicle during a flood, abandon it and climb to higher ground. In buildings, valuables are moved to a safe place above the expected flood level.”

Dialdirect has offered the following wet-weather driving tips:

1. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and look out for warnings of heavy rains, hail and high winds. Avoid dangerous areas where possible.
2. Make sure to have all emergency numbers, including those of your insurer, saved on your phone.
3. Make a conscious effort to adjust your speed and following distance. Your car needs more distance to stop on wet roads. Allow at least 4 to 8 seconds between your car and the car in front of you.
4. Always turn on your vehicle’s headlights when driving in wet weather.
5. In heavy rain, use the brightest setting for your car’s tail lights to improve visibility to vehicles behind you.
6. Make sure that your wiper blades are in good condition and do a good, clean sweep to ensure maximum visibility.
7. Avoid the build-up of fog on the inside of your car windows, as this dramatically reduces visibility. Use the anti-fog features or open the window slightly.
8. Check that you have sufficient tread on your tyres. This minimises the chances of aquaplaning. Although the South African legal limit is a minimum of 1mm of tyre tread, anything below 3mm can greatly increase the risk of aquaplaning.
9. Worn shock absorbers also increase the chances of aquaplaning, even with the best of tyres fitted. It also limits the ability of ABS systems to work efficiently, so be sure to check your car’s shock absorbers and replace them where necessary.
10. Cloudy and rainy weather causes poor visibility, so take extra care when passing other vehicles. Spraying from other vehicles reduces visibility considerably, so be sure to anticipate this.
11. Avoid abrupt acceleration, braking and steering movements. Sudden stops and turns may result in skidding.
12. Be wary of oily patches on the road. Rain, especially at the beginning of the rainy season, often causes oil that has sunk into the road to rise to the surface, making it extremely slippery.
13. Do not drive through flooded areas unless you are sure that the water is below the bottom of your wheel rims. If you have any doubt, don’t drive through the pool of water; rather, find an alternative route.
14. In case of heavy rain, park your car under cover and delay travelling until the storm has subsided. If you are caught in a heavy storm and you feel it’s not safe to drive, look for cover, pull over and/or seek shelter. This could include a covered car park, a petrol station or under a bridge. Don’t park under trees as there is a danger of falling branches and debris. Take extreme care when pulling over, put on your hazard lights, and don’t risk your safety or the safety of others by dashing madly for cover. Stay in your car and only leave the safety of your sheltered spot when the storm has passed.
15. Flash flooding often occurs when rivers flow over low-lying bridges. Avoid crossing bridges or roads next to rivers during heavy rains. If you do get stuck on a flooded road, switch to the lowest possible gear and proceed slowly. If your vehicle gets stuck during flooding, or starts to get washed away, rather abandon the vehicle and get to higher ground. It is dangerous to try and drive out of the water to safety.
16. Wait it out. If there is no shelter nearby, motorists are urged to pull-over onto the side of the road, if it is safe to do so. In an unsheltered spot, hail damage is inevitable but, it is safer not to drive through a storm when visibility is poor, the roads are slick and there is a risk of aquaplaning through deep pools of water and ice.

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