IN anticipation of strong winds and big swells, the shark nets at Alkantstrand were yesterday (Tuesday) lifted by the Sharks Board, closing the beach to bathers until further notice.

This comes amid a weather warning issued by the South African Weather Service, which prompted the KZN Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to urge residents, particularly motorists and pedestrians, to be ‘extra cautious’.

King Cetshwayo and uMkhanyakude districts are included in the regions for which the heavy weather has been forecast.

Communities living in low-lying areas are urged to find shelter on higher ground.

Public facilities like community halls will be made available in cases where people are displaced by floods.