Large hail pounds parts of PMB during sudden afternoon storm

A storm swept across parts of Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday afternoon, with large hailstones — some reportedly big enough to fit into the palm of a hand — falling during a brief but intense downpour. Residents in areas including Mkondeni, Imbali and France were caught off guard as the storm moved through. Motorists were forced to slow down as visibility dropped, and some reported damage to vehicles due to the size of the hail.

The storm passed quickly, with sunshine returning shortly afterwards. “The hail came down very hard, and it was painful when it hit. I was lucky I had already reached the gate.

Other people ran for shelter because no one would have been able to keep walking in that storm,” said Mnguni. In some areas, residents were left clearing water from their homes after the downpour. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries, although motorists reported damage to vehicles. Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service has issued a Level 4 warning for severe thunderstorms across parts of KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.