Kruger Park floods as Eloise strikes SA, roads under water in north of country

An unusual red level 10 warning has been issued by the SA Weather Service for eastern parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga for Sunday into Monday.

This is due to persistent heavy rain, with “more heavy rain expected tonight into tomorrow”.

“This will cause serious strain on emergency services. Take extreme caution in these areas,” SAWS said.

Tropical storm Eloise is currently over the north of the country.

Roads are flooding, as is the Kruger National Park where rivers are overflowing and all gravel roads closed.

In an update, the Kruger National Park said: “All gravel roads around Mopani closed, 66mm rainfall. Boulders, Shipandani not accessible. Mopani to Phalaborwa road closed, guests will have to please drive via Letaba to Phalaborwa. All gravel roads and H13-1 tar road in Nxanatseni (far north) are closed due to flooding. Tsendze Bridge on H14 is under water. Road closed from Phalaborwa side as well.

“Rainfall measured as at 10am on Sunday was: Pafuri: Mabiligwe 77.5mm; Outpost 100mm; Eco training 100mm; Pafuri 80mm. Mooiplaas 66mm, Mah 56mm. Luvuvhu picking up. Limpopo still medium flood. All drainage lines coming down. Klopperfontein something to see! Pioneer dam overflowing.”

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On Sunday morning, the weather service reported these rainfall amounts from midnight until 8.20am (preliminary data):

Limpopo

• Giyani — 76mm;
• Tshivhase — 103mm;
• Tshanowa — 129mm;
• Thohoyandou -63mm;
• Hoedspruit — 56mm;
• Levubu — 76mm.

Mpumalanga

• Bourkes AWS — 57mm;
• Skukuza — 51mm;
• Nelspruit — 28mm.

“More rainfall is still expected for the eastern parts of Mpumalanga (Ehlanzeni district municipalities) and northern KZN (Zululand and Umkhanyakude district municipalities) evening into tomorrow.”

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