Watch: KZN floods sweep homes, cars – Here’s the latest [video]

Weather conditions in KZN are expected to remain wet, windy and thunderous on Tuesday.

By / / Viral
kzn floods

Torrential weather conditions have escalated to floods in many parts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), and by the looks of it, the situation may be sustained on Tuesday.

What’s the weather update for Tuesday 12 April 2022

Communities in KZN have been hit with a double whammy at the start of this week. Not only has the return of loadshedding impacted households negatively, but the heavy rainfall poses a great threat to livelihoods.

A look at the weather forecast for KZN on Tuesday suggests that rainfall should move towards the lower eastern coastline of South Africa, making landfall in Mthatha, Queenstown and East London.

kzn floods
Photo: Sourced from ventusky.com

KZN, however, is still not out of the woods, as yet. According to VentuSky readings, the province will likely be struck by severe thunderstorms on Tuesday evening.

kzn floods
Photo: Sourced from ventusky.com

Still, the South African Weather Service has issued a Level 8 warning to KZN locals with these impacts expected:

  • Widespread flooding of roads, settlements and bridges
  • Danger to life as a result of fast-flowing streams and deep water
  • Damage to infrastructure
  • Widespread displacement of affected communities
  • Widespread damage to mud-based houses
  • Flooding and closure of major roads
  • Disruption of schools
  • Widespread mudslides, soil erosion and rockfalls
  • Widespread and prolonged disruption to municipal services.

KZN traffic updates: Here’s what you need to know

Conditions on the road are not suitable for light motor vehicles, according to the SA weather authority. Therefore, KZN locals have been advised to stay at home, if possible, and “avoid crossing rivers and swollen streams where water is above your ankles.”

Moreover, according to Traffic SA, these roads are to be avoided either due to impact of the KZN floods, or temporary closure:

  • M4 highway between Umhlanga and Durban (a big tree fell over)
  • M4 highway (south) at Congella
  • M7 highway between Bluff and Umbilo (the highway is engulfed in water, to be avoided at all cost)

Watch: The impact of KZN floods

Survivors of the torrential KZN floods have taken to social media to share images and videos of the weather system’s devastating impact. Here are some of the clips we picked out: