You’ve been warned: Severe weather and heavy rains raise flood risks across Gauteng
· Citizen
The City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) has urged residents to exercise extreme caution as persistent rainfall over the past two days has left roads wet and slippery and caused water levels in rivers and streams across the city to rise significantly.
The wet weather has resulted in several accidents across Gauteng, as authorities monitor the roads amid adverse conditions.
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On Saturday, the South African Weather Service (Saws) warned that severe thunderstorms are expected to lash several parts of South Africa, with weather authorities issuing high-level warnings for flooding, damaging winds, hail and possible service disruptions.
Weather warnings
An Orange Level 6 warning has been issued for most of the North West, the northern Free State, and the north-eastern Northern Cape, where severe storms could trigger flooding in vulnerable settlements and roads, hail damage, strong winds, travel disruptions, and municipal service outages.
An Orange Level 5 warning is in place for Gauteng and the Mpumalanga Highveld, with similar risks of flooding, infrastructure damage and service interruptions.
Meanwhile, Yellow Level 4 warnings cover parts of the North West, Northern Cape and Free State, while Yellow Level 2 warnings have been issued for large areas of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, where severe thunderstorms could cause localised damage to buildings, falling trees and lightning-related incidents.
A separate Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging winds has been issued along the Western Cape coastline from Table Bay to Cape Agulhas, posing risks to maritime activities and navigation at sea.
Precautions
Speaking amid ongoing wet weather conditions, EMS Public Relations and Communications Manager Robert Mulaudzi appealed to motorists, residents and faith-based organisations to take necessary precautions to avoid water-related incidents.
Mulaudzi warned motorists to adapt their driving behaviour to the adverse weather conditions by reducing speed, maintaining safe following distances and avoiding flooded roads and low-lying bridges.
“We are pleading with motorists to continue exercising caution while driving, extend their following distance and avoid crossing flooded roads and low-lying bridges,” he said.
Residents
He also raised concerns about the safety of residents living in low-lying areas and informal settlements, where the risk of flooding can increase during periods of heavy rainfall.
Residents have been urged to avoid crossing rivers and streams while carrying out their daily activities and to keep a close watch on children to ensure they stay away from swollen waterways and drainage channels.
“We are pleading with our residents to avoid crossing river streams and to monitor young children to stay away from river systems and drainage channels,” Mulaudzi said.
Faith organisations
The warning also extends to faith-based organisations that conduct ceremonies such as baptisms and cleansing rituals in rivers and streams.
Mulaudzi called on religious groups to postpone such activities and stay away from waterways during the current rainy period due to the heightened danger posed by fast-flowing water.
The City of Johannesburg EMS said it remains on high alert throughout the weekend, with disaster management monitoring teams and emergency response units actively monitoring all seven regions of the city for any incidents that may occur.
Rescue units
Specialist teams, including the Swift Water Rescue Unit, have also been placed on standby to respond to water-related emergencies.
Mulaudzi encouraged residents to immediately report life-threatening emergencies to the EMS Command and Control Centre on 011 375 5911 or by calling 10177.
“We remain on high alert and continue to monitor all seven regions of the city for any emergencies which might occur,” he said.
The city has urged residents to remain vigilant and prioritise safety while the rainy conditions persist.