Curbs to remain despite deluge
WHILE some of KwaZulu-Natal’s dams are overflowing‚ water restrictions for Durban and neighbouring towns remain effective.
This is despite the province receiving a staggering amount of rain on Tuesday‚ leaving a trail of death and destruction.
According to Umgeni Water‚ the torrential rain “pushed up the level of at least three dams to overflowing”.
These include Umzinto‚ EJ Smith and Mhlabatshane – all located along the south coast, where about 540mm rainfall was recorded from October 1 to 10.
Umgeni Water spokesman Shami Harichunder said the water restrictions would remain in place for another year because of a protracted period of below-average rainfall in the Mgeni system and weather forecasters’ projections that this trend would continue into next year.
According to rainfall figures released by the SA Weather Service yesterday‚ the highest rainfall‚ at 108mm‚ was recorded in the Durban South Merebank area‚ followed by 81mm in Paddock – inland from Margate on the south coast – and 69mm in the Mount Edgecombe area, which encompasses Umhlanga‚ Phoenix and Gateway Theatre of Shopping.
Paddock recorded 144mm of rainfall the previous day when a massive storm hit Gauteng.
The Eastern Cape received 68mm of rain.
Water and Sanitation spokesman Sputnik Ratau said parts of the Drakensberg‚ Eastern Cape and Lesotho had received snow.
Meanwhile, the storm that hit KwaZulu-Natal wreaked havoc in the Durban port on Tuesday, with gale-force winds blowing containers and cranes into the water.
The harbour was closed after a container-laden ship‚ the MSC Innes‚ was blown across the harbour mouth.
It took a massive joint operation involving five tugs to reberth the ship. Operations at Durban’s port will remain closed until sounding surveys conducted by drones to assess unsafe build-up or obstructions on the seabed are completed following the storm.