The City of Ekurhuleni has warned of possible flooding in low-lying areas due to the persistent rain that’s been falling over Gauteng’s East Rand.
Residents have also been cautioned to keep a close watch on children to avoid drownings or being swept away by flooded streams.
Ekurhuleni’s disaster and emergency services are monitoring the situation and are on high alert.
Meanwhile, traffic disruptions were reported across parts of Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal earlier as wet weather conditions persisted on Monday morning.
The South African Weather Service says several areas have been placed on high alert as Tropical Storm Eloise, which has now been downgraded to a tropical depression, makes its way into the country.
The storm made landfall in Mozambique’s coastal province of Sofala on Saturday before moving towards South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and eSwatini.
The downgrade means that heavy rains are still expected but that the impact of strong winds has decreased.
Tropical storm wreaks havoc in Limpopo
Several houses have been damaged in the Thohoyandou and Malamulele areas in Limpopo due to heavy rains from the tropical storm, as seen in the tweet below:
Some streets flooded at Tshakhuma village outside Thohoyandou in Limpopo.#SABCNews pic.twitter.com/AaynE23t14
— Jabulani Baloi (@jabulanibaloi) January 24, 2021
Vhembe Disaster Management Spokesperson Matodzi Ralushai says they have received reports of damages at Mbaleni, Khubvi and other villages.
Ralushai also says that low lying bridges have also been washed away at Sambandou, Tswinga and Tshedza villages.
Disaster authorities are still conducting assessments.
Reports of the storm leaving a trail of destruction in Limpopo:
