KZN weather: New storm warning as Pietermaritzburg mops-up

After Sunday’s storm, another weather warning has been issued for parts of KZN on Monday. As another weather warning was issued for parts of KwaZulu-Natal on Monday, mop-up operations were underway in the Msunduzi Municipality following asevere stormthat caused significant damage across several wards, as the South African Weather Service (SAWS) confirmed atornadowas recorded in the area. SAWS said a tornado developed briefly in Bishopstowe amid the severe storm that lashed parts of the province on Sunday.

The municipality said strong winds, heavy rainfall, thunder, and hail battered parts of the city, leaving behind uprooted trees, localised flooding, and disruptions to essential services. Municipal teams have since been deployed to assess the extent of the damage and to prioritise response measures. “The Municipality advises residents that mop-up operations and preliminary assessments are currently underway following severe storms that affected various wards across the city,” the municipality said in a statement.

Technical teams are focusing on clearing debris, restoring access to affected roads, and attending to reported service disruptions. “The adverse weather conditions… resulted in damage to infrastructure, including uprooted trees, localised flooding, and disruptions to essential services in some areas,” the statement read. The municipality added that it is working with relevant stakeholders to ensure a coordinated response as assessments continue.

[paywall]

“At this stage, no fatalities have been reported. A more detailed update will be issued once assessments have been completed,” it said. Residents have been urged to report emergencies or service disruptions through the municipal call centre and emergency assistance lines. Meanwhile the KZN Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs department has issued a warning of severe thunderstorms for parts of the province today.

[/paywall]