The South African Weather Services (SAWS) has cautioned residents in certain parts of the Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal to brace themselves for disruptive rain and possible flooding from Sunday to Tuesday.
Several warnings were issued, including a Yellow Level 4 Warning for Nelson Mandela Bay and an Orange Level 5 Warning for East London.
According to a statement released by the SAWS, the expected inclement weather is a result of a cut-off low-pressure system, which will impact the southern, central, and eastern provinces.
SAWS spokesman Wayne Venter said cut-off low-pressure systems are notorious for resulting in severe weather during the Spring months, including heavy rainfall that can lead to flooding, as well as intense thunderstorms accompanied by hail and damaging winds.
The predicted accumulated rainfall until Monday as forecast by the Global Unified Model (UMGA) shows significant rainfall in the order of 100 to 200 mm along the eastern coastline of the country during this period.
"The cut-off low will develop over the south-western parts of the country on Sunday, while a stationary surface high-pressure system will bring moisture to the southern and south-eastern regions.
"These systems will lead to widespread rainfall over parts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal mainly from Sunday to Tuesday."
The SAWS has issued the following Impact Based warnings:
• Orange level 5 Warning: Disruptive rain leading to flooding of settlements, roads, and damage to property and infrastructure is expected along the coast and adjacent interior between East London and Port Edward today on Saturday (19/10/2024).
• Orange Level 6 Warning: Disruptive rain leading to flooding of settlements, roads, and damage to property and infrastructure is expected along the coast and adjacent interior between Port Alfred and Mtunzini from Sunday into Monday.
• Yellow Level 4 Warning: Disruptive rain leading to localised flooding of settlements, roads, damage to property and infrastructure for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Kouga, Sundays River Valley, Makana, and Mdlambe Local Municipality as well Ngqushwa are expected from tomorrow, on Sunday into Monday and likely to persist until Tuesday.
• Yellow Level 4 Warning: Severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours leading to localised flooding of settlements, low lying areas, resulting in the closure of some bridges and roads, large amounts of small hail and damaging wind to informal/formal houses or structures and vehicles are expected over most parts of KwaZulu-Natal, the extreme eastern Free State and extreme southern Highveld of Mpumalanga from Sunday into Monday.
• Yellow level 2 Warning: Severe storms with heavy downpours leading to localised susceptible roads, low-lying areas, and bridges, large amounts of small hail that will result in localised damage to vehicles, houses, and structures as well as localised damage to informal houses due to strong damaging wind are expected over the eastern parts of both North West and the Free State, Gauteng, the Mpumalanga Highveld and extreme northeast of KwaZulu-Natal as well as over the extreme south-west of Limpopo on Sunday into Monday.
• Yellow Level 2 Warning: Disruptive rain leading to localised flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas, and bridges is expected south of the escarpment of the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape from Sunday into Monday.
Venter said most parts of the country will experience warm to hot temperatures during this period, though cool to cold conditions can be anticipated in parts of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and southern KwaZulu-Natal due to extensive cloud cover and rainfall.
"Calm weather conditions are expected to return on Wednesday as the cut-off low moves eastward, away from the south-eastern coast.
"The South African Weather Service will continue to monitor any further developments relating to this weather system and will issue subsequent updates as required."
The SAWS has urged and encouraged the public to regularly follow weather forecasts on television and radio.
