Seven people were reported missing and at least 150 victims registered their homes as being destroyed in Tuesday's devastating tornado in KZN, while community members began to pick up the pieces of their lives and the little that was left of their belongings.

By yesterday, at least 150 people had registered with the Department of Human Settlements as having had their homes destroyed in the devastating storm in the Durban area on Tuesday afternoon, 27 June.

Following public confusion on how to describe the storms, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) on Wednesday declared that a tornado had hit parts of Durban including Inanda and surrounding areas at around 1pm on Tuesday and had "cycled around" - in that it was "not moving forward or backward" - until about 2pm.

The storm was still raging on Tuesday afternoon when video clips and pictures began circulating on social media. Some clips showed women and children trapped in their homes, and debris, including corrugated iron sheets, doors and windows mixed with other objects flying overhead. Some commuters were trapped in taxis and other vehicles.

After the tornado had subsided, heavy rains and storms continued throughout the afternoon and night, causing further damage to roads, houses and other infrastructure.

Although an uneasy calm prevailed on Wednesday, there was no water or electricity in many parts of Durban.

Inanda, Dube Village and Bhambayi informal settlements were among the worst-affected areas. Other areas affected include Phoenix, Ntuzuma, Lindelani, KwaMashu, Overport, Shallcross, Pinetown, Mayville, KwaMakhutha, eFolweni and large parts of the South Coast.

Seven people reported missing

At least seven people were reported missing after the storms. Three, including a small child,...