Certain areas of the province are experiencing heavy rainfall that could, potentially, lead to flooding in coastal and midlands districts, the  the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has warned.

The South African Weather Services has raised the alert level to orange, level 6 – the highest warning level – due to the high risk of flooding that may damage roads, bridges, formal and informal settlements.

The anticipated rainfall is expected to persist from Monday afternoon until midnight and could result in damage in the following municipalities: eThekwini Metro, Ugu, Harry Gwala, Ilembe, and Umgungundlovu.

The department convened an urgent meeting with the Joint Operation Cluster (JOC), which includes all municipalities that may be affected, as well as with disaster management teams, to put proactive measures in place.

Furthermore, all disaster management centres have been activated to monitor the weather pattern and risk – and respond to any unforeseen events. The JOC teams will assess the readiness status of all municipalities likely to be impacted.

Residents in low-lying areas are advised to relocate to safer areas, if necessary.

Residents are urged to closely monitor the situation and take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of lives during this period of heavy rainfall.

Livestock owners are urged to find secure locations for their animals and adhere to safety measures that will be communicated through disaster centres.

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