People, under an umbrella, walk across a road. Pedestrians take cover under their colourful umbrellas amid persistent rain in the Durban CBD on Thursday. Picture: DOCTOR NGCOBO Independent Newspapers
Durban: Heavy rains, strong winds, and thunderstorms over the long weekend and in the past week have wreaked havoc in some parts of KwaZulu-Natal, with more weather warnings forecast for the coming days.
Yesterday, Eskom said stormy weather has led to disruptions in power supply to numerous parts of KZN, including Eshowe, Mandini, Nkandla, Stanger, Bergville, Estcourt, Glencoe, Osizweni, Paulpiet area, Kokstad, and Margate.
Eskom said technical teams were attending to the outages.
“Customers are requested to remain patient as the nature of the damage and the weather conditions are likely to lead to longer restoration times.”
KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Rev. Thulasizwe Buthelezi said a storm during the long weekend caused damage to private and public infrastructure and knocked out power lines in many municipalities. In the uThukela District, particularly in the Alfred Duma Municipality, wards 1, 6, 9, 16, and 20 were severely affected.
Power outages plagued Ladysmith after strong winds and hailstones brought down electricity lines and damaged rooftops. Municipal teams have been working tirelessly to restore services and repair critical infrastructure.
The Inkosi Langalibalele Municipality also experienced severe impact, particularly in wards 20 and 21, where homes were damaged, leaving numerous households displaced. Similarly, in the Ugu District, the uMuziwabantu Municipality reported significant structural damage in wards 7, 8, and 9, forcing residents to seek temporary shelter.
Cogta noted that the Provincial Disaster Management Centre is coordinating relief efforts, ensuring that disaster teams are deployed across affected areas to assess the damage and provide support.
“We urge all residents to stay safe and follow updates from SAWS and local authorities,” said Buthelezi.
Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued additional warnings for disruptive rainfall and severe thunderstorms across the province today and tomorrow. SAWS has issued a yellow level 4 warning for disruptive rainfall over the northern parts of KZN. The rain is expected to cause flooding of roads and settlements, damage to infrastructure and mud-based houses, and cause major traffic disruptions.
“Major roads may be flooded or closed,” the warning stated. Severe thunderstorms are also predicted for the south-western parts of KZN tomorrow afternoon. SAWS warned of “heavy downpours, hail, damaging winds, and severe lightning” that could result in significant damage and pose risks to public safety.
The eThekwini Municipality has also urged residents to remain vigilant as the region braces for more severe weather.
A municipal statement highlighted the risks of localised flooding and damage to infrastructure, urging the public to “exercise caution and avoid low-lying areas prone to flooding”.
The City advised residents to stay indoors during storms, secure loose items, and to report emergencies to the Disaster Management Centre at 031 361 0000.