Heavy rain predicted as snow falls in KZN

Heavy snowfall has blanketed parts of the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

“On Wednesday night there were heavy snowfalls in the Eastern Cape which is ongoing. On Thursday morning heavy snow fell in the southern Drakensberg‚ namely Mpendle‚ Mooi River‚ Nottingham Road and Sani Pass. It is meant to continue until the early hours of Friday morning‚” said Ron Ansell of Snow Report SA.

Ezekiel Sebego‚ chief weather forecaster at the South African Weather Service‚ said most of the country is feeling the effects of the cold front‚ which passed over Gauteng on Wednesday night.

“The coldest regions in the country are in the southern Free State‚ Northern Cape‚ Eastern Cape‚ the interior of the Western Cape. Some of the regions in those areas are only expecting a maximum of 10 degrees‚ some even less. On the mountains in the Western Cape‚ Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal‚ there are snowfalls. Mountain passes in the Eastern Cape have already been closed‚” said Sebego.

“Showers of rain over the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are mostly expected for Thursday and some could be heavy‚ especially in the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape and the southern parts of KwaZulu-Natal. There is flooding expected in those areas. The heaviest rainfall predicted for Friday is in KwaZulu-Natal. Temperatures will start recovering on Saturday.”

He said bad weather is expected to return next week in the Western Cape.

Mike Anderson-Reade‚ head of the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board‚ said shark safety gear at most of the bathing beaches were removed on Wednesday.

He said that was as a result of the numerous weather and swell forecasting models that the board monitors‚ which predicted unsettled seas and strong groundswell of up to 3m.

“These unsettled seas and large swells could result in the movement or damage to shark safety gear should it remain in the water. In order to minimise damage or losses the Sharks Board‚ in consultation with the affected municipalities‚ on Wednesday morning removed shark safety gear at the majority of protected bathing beaches‚” said Anderson-Reade.

“Shark safety gear will be replaced as soon as the seas have settled and we are confident that the gear will remain stable.”

The beaches in Salt Rock in Durban‚ Sun Coast‚ Bay of Plenty to uShaka and Margate Main Beach remain open for bathing‚ depending on the surf conditions.