Threat of flooding from Dineo
LANDFALL TONIGHT: HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND FLOODING EXPECTED
A tropical storm is expected to hit tonight in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The situation remains dire in drought-stricken Western Cape.
With the ground still extremely wet from the rainfall experienced since December, the much-talked-about tropical storm Dineo, which is expected to make landfall tonight in parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga and northern KwaZulu-Natal, is likely to cause problems, the South African Weather Service warned yesterday.
Speaking to The Citizen, forecaster Madimetja Thema said the tropical storm is expected to bring heavy downpours.
“Some of the areas to be affected by heavy rain, include Letaba, Skukuza and the Lowveld of Mpumalanga from Thursday evening (tonight), going into Friday (tomorrow).
“Although the system is expected to start dying out from tomorrow, the wet conditions are expected to persist in Mpumalanga as well as northern Limpopo going towards Soutpansberg and into the weekend,” Thema said.
He said while they have not yet issued a warning, there is a watch for heavy rainfall which could lead to flooding.
The tropical storm is expected to move to Botswana on Sunday where it will probably die out but the rain will still remain over Mpumalanga Lowveld and the Limpopo valley.
“Even moderate rainfall into the weekend can cause problems for the two provinces in question, as they have been experiencing good rain in recent times.
“Many parts of the country are expected to experience normal isolated showers and thundershowers for the next few days,” he said.
However, another system is expected to start developing on Sunday over the southern parts of the country.
“We are expecting a tropical thrust which will see moderate to heavy rainfall to the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and the Free State.
“Almost the whole of South Africa will be experiencing rain on Sunday and by Monday, this will move further north where provinces such as North West and KwaZulu-Natal will also be wet, including the extreme southern parts of Gauteng,” Thema said.
He said residents in Gauteng can expect rain for the entire province by Tuesday.
The welcomed downpours follows months of dry and hot conditions as a result of the El Nino weather system.
Recently, the weather desk said indications were suggesting above normal rainfall for Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng for the next coming months, including sometime during the autumn season.
The rainfall which has been experienced since the end of last year, has not been enough to immediately assist in rising dam levels, some of which had significantly dropped last year amid the dry conditions.
The department of water and sanitation recently said more rainfall was needed to at least push the dam levels beyond the 70% full mark, adding that should that be the case, several municipalities might review the current water restrictions that were implemented last year.
While there has been noticeable improvements in dam levels, the situation remains dire in the Western Cape. –