It’s plain to see that mother nature is wreaking havoc this week, with gale-force winds, torrential rain and high waves whipping the KZN coast. Those further inland have been “treated” to an unusual winter wonderland, with snow covering areas including Nottingham Road, Kokstad and Queenstown.
Major roads in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape have been closed due to heavy snow fall on Tuesday morning, the SABC reported. The N3 highway between Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal have been closed from Howick, until further notice, with reports of trucks having overturned on Van Reenens Pass because of snow and ice. The military have been called in to help stranded motorists.
Other major routes, like the N5 and N11, have been closed at mountain passes, due to snow. Motorists have been urged to postpone their journeys until conditions improved.
See below for our pictures of the snow and the stranded ship…
A number of roads in the Eastern Cape, including the N2 between Kokstad and Mount Ayliff, the Wapadsberg and Lootsberg passes, and the R72 between Kenton on Sea and Alexandria have also been closed.
Closer to home, there is flooding on Inanda Road, with treacherous driving conditions across the Highway area. Fields Hill has been particularly affected, with water flowing across vast stretches of the road. A number of shops in Hillcrest and Kloof had limited stock, as the trucks weren’t able to get through because of the weather.
The RTI has advised motorists to listen to the radio while driving and avoid travelling if possible. These conditions are expected to stay with us into Wednesday.
Expect very cold temperatures into Wednesday
Minimum temperatures across the province are expected to drop to a crisp -2°C for Ladysmith, Kokstad, Van Reenen and Underberg on Tuesday, picking up to 9°C later and dropping to 1°C by Wednesday morning. On Wednesday morning the Giants Castle area is expected to drop to -5°C.
Durban, Richards Bay and Margate recorded between 11 and 12°C, increasing to 16 and 18°C.
This information from the South African Weather Service.
These conditions are the result of the coupling of a cold front and high pressure system behind it pushing more moisture into KZN from the Eastern Cape. The South African Weather Service has issued warnings for very cold temperatures, heavy snow and rainfall.
Mount Edgecombe had received over 40mm of rain and King Shaka International Airport 58mm. Durban had received 31.6mm. More rain is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Today’s temperature is expected to reach 18°C, but with the wind and rain taken into account, that should feel more like 13°C.
Weather forecast for Durban
Tuesday, July 26: Thunderclouds, max temp of 18°C, min temp 11°C
Wednesday, July 27: Cloudy and rain, max temp 20°C, min temp 9°C
Thursday, July 28: Sunny, max temp 22°C, min temp 9°C
Shipping lanes have also been affected, with one vessel stranded off Sheffield Beach. Visit our sister mag, The Ridge, for more details.
Do you have photos of extreme weather where you are? Send them to us at hayley@famouspublishing.co.za