N3 at a standstill near Howick as storm blows trees across highway

Severe thunderstorms and torrential rains wreaked havoc across parts of the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, with fallen trees blocking the N3 highway on Thursday. 

According to a disaster management official, traffic at the Tweedie/Howick North interchange was at a standstill because of trees strewn across the highway. 

Reports said bridges were flooded along the R103 as well as at Nottingham Road. 

Parts of Howick were reported to have no electricity as the thunderstorm moved towards Pietermaritzburg. 

According to uMgeni mayor Chris Pappas, high winds and heavy rain caused a number of outages, blockages and drainage issues.

“A number of power outages have been reported. Eskom and uMngeni municipality are working on their respective areas. A number of trees have also been reported to have been uprooted or damaged. These will be attended to,” he said.

“Due to the widespread nature of the incidents delays will be experienced. Standard turnaround for power outages is two to 48 hours, depending on severity.” 

This is the second storm to cause damage in the midlands this month and comes after a weather warning by the SA Weather Service on Thursday. 

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