By Anita Dangazele & Celani Sikhakhane
- Snowfall in Eastern Cape mountain passes affected travel, and transport authorities are monitoring road conditions amid heavy rains and poor visibility.
- Severe weather warnings for heavy rain have been issued after floods caused infrastructure damage in the Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay areas.
The Eastern Cape saw unusual November snow on Tuesday which forced authorities to watch mountain passes closely for dangerous conditions.
Snow covered the Lootsberg Pass between Middelburg and Graaff-Reinet, and Wapadsberg Pass, with officials ready to close roads if needed.
Transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose said the snow piles on more danger to already difficult conditions.
“This curious phenomenon of snowfall in November adds to already challenging driving conditions in the Eastern Cape, as most areas are affected by heavy rains that have led to slippery conditions as well as poor visibility,” he said.
The South African Weather Service warned of Level 4 dangerous rain in many areas, including Buffalo City Metro and other local areas.
In Nelson Mandela Bay, Mayor Babalwa Lobishe warned of possible power cuts.
“There is a possibility that more areas will be without power as there is flooding where the electricity infrastructure is, so to protect our residents and the infrastructure we might need to switch the areas off.”
The storm system has also hit KZN hard. Lightning killed one person in Mooi River and badly hurt a mother and child, while Pietermaritzburg saw roof damage at homes, a school and a hospital.
At the end of September, snow fell in parts of KZN and Eastern Cape with many getting stuck travelling to the coastal provinces for a long weekend.
Scrolla.Africa’s political editor Zukile Majova wrote that the surprise snowfall in late September gave rural crop farmers a rare opportunity to have their soil damp enough to plant maize in October.
Scrolla.Africa also launched the Climate Media Awards with R100,000 in prizes earlier this year.
Check out Scrolla.Africa’s climate stories here.
Pictured above: The snowfall in the Eastern Cape.
Source: Supplied
