KwaZulu-Natal communities are facing more major floods due to persistent heavy rains across the province.
The South African Weather Services has placed the province under a level 9 weather warning.
A level 9 warning is issued due to disruptive rainfall that leads to widespread flooding of roads and settlements as well as possible loss of life.
The eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality alone is likely to be hit with 200mm of heavy rains between Thursday and Friday.
“We urge communities in affected areas to stay alert and possibly to be indoors. Motorists must be cautious at all times. If they face danger they must quickly jump out of the vehicles and run to higher areas to be safe,” a statement from SA Weather Services read.
Other areas that are predicted to be in danger of downpours of over 50mm are the poor and rural municipalities that are in the north and eastern parts of KZN.
Among them are Mandeni, UMlalazi, Big 5 Hlabisa, UMhlabuyalingana, Hluhluwe, Umhlathuze, uMshwathi, KwaDukuza, Richmond and Ndwedwe.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Sihle Zikalala has urged communities to work with disaster teams to avoid potential loss of life.
KZN is no stranger to extreme weather as several communities still feel the effect of the catastrophic floods last April.
A total of 461 people were reported dead last June as a result of the flood.
Resident Nobuhle Memela from Pietermaritzburg said after the alert was circulated on WhatsApp groups on Tuesday they started to panic because they don’t know if their houses will still be standing after the weekend.
Pictured above: Heavy rain in KZN
