KZN DAMS FULL AHEAD OF WINTER SEASON

Water levels of dams around KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) will sustain the province through the drier winter months, said uMngeni-uThukela Water, confirming that most dams are over 100% full.

While much of southern Africa is bracing for the possibility of drought and increased temperatures due to El Niño, KZN seems to be battling with a case of too much rain.

In recent weeks, KZN experienced heavy rainfall leading to flooding in some areas and increased inflows into many dams. Weekly data from the Department of Water and Sanitation

(DWS) shows that most dams across the province are mostly full, and some are even above 100% of their storage levels.

“As of [yesterday morning], most dams have surpassed 100% with the Midmar dam being at 100,61% in capacity. The Henley dam is at 104,81% in capacity and overflowing,” said uMngeni-uThukela Water.

“We still urge people to conserve water as much as possible as we are approaching the dry season. We are certain that the water in our rivers will last us throughout the dry season if people use water cautiously,” said uMngeni-uThukela Water.

According to an article published by GroundUp, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (Enso) is one of the most important climate events on earth.

It is characterised by cyclical changes in sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure patterns, and has two primary states: El Niño and La Niña.

During El Niño, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean can lead to a disruption in global weather patterns.

This can result in increased rainfall and flooding in some regions, while others, such as South Africa, experience droughts such as the one in the Western Cape from 2015 to 2017.

El Niño typically lasts for a period of nine to twelve months but can sometimes last for years.

On the other hand, La Niña is marked by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the same region, which can have opposite effects, including, for countries like South Africa, above-average rainfall and a higher likelihood of flood events.

Engineering News reported recently that southern Africa is facing a severe water shortage due to one of the strongest El Niño events ever recorded.

The magazine said temperatures in the region were 4°C to 5°C higher than the February average.