Twenty two people were killed in flooding caused by torrential rain and fierce winds on South Africa’s eastern coast.
Flooding hit many locations in two eastern provinces, two tornados were spotted, temperatures plunged and snow fell in some central regions. At least 11 people died in Eastern Cape, said a spokesperson from Nelson Mandela Bay municipality.
More than 2,000 people have been evacuated from Nelson Mandela Bay. Local authorities launched an appeal for donations of clothing, food and blankets.
The provincial government in neighbouring KwaZulu-Natal also said at least 11 people had died in and around the port city of Durban. Provincial authorities declared a state of alert in KwaZulu-Natal.
’55 people suffered minor to moderate injuries and are receiving medical treatment in hospital’, said a provincial government statement.
It added, ‘At least 120 people have been displaced and three temporary shelters have been established’.
In 2022, Durban and its surrounding area was the site of the worst flooding in South Africa’s history, which provoked mudslides that killed more than 400 people.
On Monday night rescue services were deployed in both affected provinces. Homes were flattened, roads flooded and trees felled. Some places suffered energy blackouts.
The national meteorological institute says South Africa is in the grip of a cut off low pressure system, marked by heavy rains and a cold snap that can also bring hail, snow and strong winds.
Heavy rainfall has hit the eastern Indian Ocean coast, and meteorological services have published weather alerts in four of the southern African country’s nine provinces.
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