Harsh weather conditions for South Africa force govment to issue warning, close schools
Wia dis foto come from, GRANT BRUCE CAMERON-ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Di South African govment don release travel warnings across di kontri dey tell pipo to dey vigilant and exercise caution as heavy snowfall, freezing conditions, heavy rain and strong winds dey currently happun for many parts of di kontri.
Already many roads don dey closed and dem don riase weather alerts sake of disruptions for many provinces across South Africa.
KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Free State na some of di provinces wey dey worst hit by di bad weather conditions, even though govment workers dey try to use graders to comot snow for di road surface in order to make dem motorable.
Oda provinces wia pipo dey also experience heavy rains and bad weather conditions include Mpumalanga and Western Cape, wia some routes dey affected by icy conditions and strong winds.
Di Weather Service don raise di alert level to 'Orange Level 6' as snowfall affect some of di major routes and mountain passes for Eastern Cape and Free State provinces.
Also, di warning level for parts of Northern Cape and Western Cape don raise to 'Yellow Level 2' sake of heavy winds wey fit cause including hazardous travelling conditions, reduce visibility and disrupt transportation.
However, some major roads for Queenstown and Jamestown for di Eastern Cape province don dey reopened for traffic, and emergency workers dey spray brine along roads betwin Harrismith and Van Reenen pass connecting Free State and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
Di advice na for drivers to approach di roads "wit extreme caution".
"Members of di public dey reminded say weather and road conditions fit change fast-fast, (so) roads wey currently dey open fit dey closed again if conditions deteriorate, and routes wey bin dey closed fit reopen once di relevan authorities don assess and clear dem," di statement signed by two govment tok-tok pesins - Nomonde Mnukwa and William Baloyi, tok.
Weather records suggest say rainfall chances still dey very high - from 60 to 80 percent - for many areas for Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.
Precautions to take
Di govment travel advisory ask citizens make dem dey monitor information from approved govment sources if dem wan travel, but dem also issue di following warning:
- Avoid unnecessary waka to areas wey dey affected by heavy snowfall, ice, strong winds, flooding or oda bad weather conditions
- Respect di traffic and emergency authorities and no try to drive for roads wey dem don close
- Even for roads wey dey open, drivers suppose reduce dia speed, maintain safe distance from di vehicle in front of dem and remain very careful especially around mountain passes
- Follow di instructions and guidance of traffic officials, emergency services and disaster management authorities
- Always check di latest weather and road conditions from verified sources bifor you go start any long-distance travel
- If e dey possible, postpone your travel until conditions don improve and affected routes don dey assessed and declared safe
- No share information about road closures and weather conditions wey you neva first verify, bicos e fit cause confusion and put pipo for greater risk
- Take extra measures to protect children, older people and oda vulnerable pipo from extreme cold
- Farmers and livestock owners dey encouraged to make sure say dia animals dey safe, warm and well-sheltered during periods of severe cold and snowfall
Driving tips for rain and snow conditions
Wia dis foto come from, SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images
Driving for snow and icy conditions fit dey tricky especially for drivers for kontris or regions wey no too dey experince such weather conditions on regular basis.
Hia na some advice wen driving for snow, ice, strong wind, and heavy rain conditions:
- Reduce speed. Accelerate and brake gradually,
- Avoid sudden movements wey fit make di motor to lose traction
- Check your tyres and make sure say you pump am well
- Gently test your brakes to find out weda di road dey slippery, and how slippery di road dey
- No put your car for cruise control or sport mode
- Di distance betwin you and di car for your fron suppose dey three times longer dan e dey be normally
- Dim your headlight and avoid fog light bicos e fit affect di pesin wey dey come for di opposite direction
- If your wheels start to dey spin, just comot leg for your gas pedal and no match brake anyhow
- Turn your steering for di direction of di spin until you regain control den gradually straight your car
- Avoid entering pool of water wia e dey possible, especially wen you no fit judge how deep di place dey
South Africa unique weather
South Africa na one of di few kontris for Africa wey dey experience snowfall. Di oda na Lesotho wey also get border wit South Africa.
Oda kontris like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia for North Africa, and even parts of Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia dey also get snowfall especially around dia mountain areas.
Di current weather condition for South Africa na wetin sabi pipo dey describe as a 'cut-off low'.
Tokelo Chiloane, wey be senior forcaster for di South African Weather Service explain say 'cut-off low' na weather system wey dey develop at around 500 millibar level for di upper atmosphere.
Chiloane describe di condition as a 'cold-producing, rainfall-producing weather system', and "depending on how e dey positioned, e fit dey impactful especially ova di high-lying areas", she tell South Africa SABC news.
In September of 2024, similar harsh weather condition bin also affect many parts of South Africa including Johannesburg and Durban.
Sabi pipo say more dan two metres of snow bin fall within short period, causing ogbong traffic as plenty vehicles bin dey trapped for snow along di road.
