Weather services issues warning for possible flooding in parts of Eastern Cape

The South African Weather Services (SAWS) have issued a warning for possible flooding in the eastern part of the Eastern Cape.

Weather forecaster Ayabonga Tshungwana says a cold front that passed south of the country, followed by a riding inner pressure system, will result in showers and rains across the province more in the areas between East London and the Wild Coast.

“Any amount of rain, if it’s something more than 10mm of rain is going cause flooding because the soil is already saturated. It’s been raining in the past two days. The water is saturated, the water running on top of the soil.”

“Hence the South African Weather Services has decided to issue a warning on these areas that I [have] mentioned. The wild coast including Alfred Nzo District Municipality and also the parts of O.R. Tambo District Municipality and also the northern parts that include Matatiele and Elliott,” explains Tshungwana.

The video below is the full weather report:

Meanwhile, the Metro in eThekwini says in their area alone the damage from the floods this week is estimated to be about R757 million so far. The municipality is among the hardest hit areas in the province.

Several services have been temporarily suspended. There are more rains forecast for this weekend.

The eThekwini Municipality says it has established 17 shelters to house more than 2 000 displaced persons.  After rains and winds cut rendered several areas inaccessible, about 60% of these areas are now accessible by public transport.

The municipality says its engineers continue to work to clear routes to allow critical water tankers to areas experiencing water shortages.