Severe thunderstorms, including a tornado and hailstorms, wreaked havoc in northeastern South Africa, raising concerns amidst an El Niño state and its impact on the rainfall forecast.
Analysing the unusual Midrand hailstorm: Here’s everything we know
On Monday afternoon, the northeastern parts of South Africa faced torrential conditions, including a tornado in Mpumalanga’s Lekwa municipality and hailstorms in Johannesburg’s Midrand suburbs.
These storms caused extensive damage to properties, vehicles, and infrastructure, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) confirmed in a statement.
The weather authority explained that a combination of a low-pressure extension over central South Africa and high pressure to the east facilitated moisture advection into the northeast, sparking the development of thunderstorms.
These storms, initially forming over southeastern North West province and northern Free State, intensified as they moved towards Gauteng and southwestern Mpumalanga.
In Gauteng, the isolated thunderstorm led to significant property damage and flooding due to large hail and heavy downpours.
Mpumalanga also suffered infrastructure damage, including a disrupted substation and fallen trees that caused power outages.
The rest of the week forecasts partly cloudy and warm conditions across most parts of the country.
Hotter temperatures are expected in the southwestern areas, while isolated showers and thunderstorms will be confined to the central and eastern regions.
Northeast South Africa braces for unusual rainfall due to El Niño impact
Currently in an El Niño state, South Africa typically experiences drier, warmer conditions during this period.
However, global forecasts present uncertainty, especially for the eastern regions. SAWS’s multi-model rainfall forecast predicts above-normal rainfall for northeastern South Africa in the coming months, despite the typical drier conditions associated with El Niño.
The probabilities for above-normal rainfall, though, remain low, and the El Niño effect could still alter the mid-to-late summer rainfall outlook.
Both minimum and maximum temperatures countrywide are expected to be mostly above normal during the forecast period.