Cyclone heading towards SA will not hit EC

CYCLONE Dineo, with winds hitting 212km, will bash into southern Mozambique near Inhambane today and South Africa tomorrow.

Although tropical cyclones rapidly lose strength when they hit land, “this weather system has the potential to result in severe weather impacts over the north-eastern parts of the country later this week”, said SA Weather Services (Saws) national Hannelee Doubell.

This is the fourth extreme tropical system to affect the southern Indian Ocean this season.

Dineo will have no effect on the Eastern Cape, said Port Elizabeth weather office spokesman Garth Sampson.

Doubell said: “While there is much uncertainty regarding the location and timing of the storm’s impact within South Africa, the most likely areas to be affected include the Ehlanzeni district spokeswoman (including the Kruger National Park) in Mpumalanga, and Mopani and Vhembe districts in Limpopo, before spreading to other districts in Limpopo”

The system spreads westwards into Mpumalanga and Limpopo on Friday.

Yesterday, the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) in La Reunion updated the expected evolution of Dineo from a tropical storm to a tropical cyclone with winds of up to 118 – 165km/h early today.

“By midday, it morphs into an “intense tropical cyclone” with winds of “up to 166 to 212km/h,” said Saws.

Yesterday, scattered thundershowers were expected to develop in the afternoon over central, south-eastern and eastern parts of South Africa, with heavier showers possible over the south-eastern parts of Mpumalanga and northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

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