Rains bring little relief
GOOD late summer rains have fallen over the greater Zululand region with figures ranging from 61.2mm in Mtubatuba to 138.4mm in Mkhuze Estate since the beginning of March.
While these rains are welcomed by the residents who are still being affected by the prolonged drought, sugar cane farmers may not be quite as happy, as the sugar mills opened last week and they are battling to access the cane in the drenched fields.
Motorists have also been affected with localised flooding, but these are mostly due to poor maintenance of gutters and drains which are not cleaned of trapped sand.
Figures rcorded at the SA Sugar Research Institute’s weather stations show that the northern stations of Makhathini, Mkhuze and Pongola had the highest rainfall of 68.8mm, 54.6mm and 50.5mm respectively last week.
Mtubatuba, Empangeni, Entumeni and eShowe recorded 24.1mm, 27.4mm, 27.9mm and 31.5mm.
Storage dams, especially Goedertrouw, benefited little from the rains.