Storm Dineo to impact parts of SA

North-eastern parts of country brace for weather system’s force

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15 2017

THE KRUGER National Park and the north-eastern parts of South Africa could experience heavy rain as well as flooding later this week in the aftermath of a tropical storm moving towards southern Mozambique.

The SA Weather Service has been monitoring the development of the tropical weather system in the Mozambique Channel.

The system has the potential to result in severe weather impacts over the north-eastern parts of the country.

Although the storm is not expected to affect KwaZulu-Natal, it is likely to have a severe effect in parts of southern Africa later in the week.

Weather conditions in the Mozambique Channel continue to be hot and humid, with light winds in the atmosphere, while sea-surface temperatures exceed 30°C over the eastern part of this region, adjoining the channel.

SA Weather Service forecaster Ezekiel Sebego said these were all favourable ingredients for the growth and intensification of tropical lows.

“Within the next 24 hours, the system is expected to intensify and become a moderate tropical storm (associated with winds of 63-88km/h).

“Assuming the system deepens to at least the moderate tropical storm stage, the name to be assigned to the system will be Dineo,” he said.

The storm is expected to move through Massinga and Inhambane on the coastline of southern Mozambique between today and Friday.

Sebego predicted the storm would move towards the north-eastern parts of South Africa tomorrow.

“Although not likely to be as severe as the scenario expected for southern Mozambique, there is much uncertainty about the location and timing of the storm’s impact in South Africa, the most likely areas to be affected include the Ehlanzeni district in Mpumalanga as well as the Mopani and Vhembe districts in Limpopo,” Sebego said.

He said that all tropical systems that make landfall begin to rapidly weaken and decay once they are deprived of the energy provided by warm ocean water.

“The system itself will, in all probability, dissipate within 36 to 48 hours of moving inland,” he said.

The SA Weather Service said each tropical storm is assigned a name according to the alphabet. – Staff Reporter

PICTURE: KRUGER NATIONAL PARK TORRENT: The low-water bridge over the Crocodile River in the Kruger National Park is overflowing because of heavy rains since yesterday. The park said no vehicles will be allowed entry/exit through Crocodile Bridge Entrance Gate until further notice.