In the past 24 hours, South Africa has witnessed at least two tornadoes north of Durban, hail in Umhlanga, snow in the Northern Cape and heavy rains and strong winds in the Western and Eastern Cape. So far, seven people have lost their lives in Eastern Cape and at least five people were confirmed killed in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday.
Winter is setting in as severe weather batters parts of the country. More cold, wet and windy conditions are expected throughout this week, with snow falling in some areas.
Downed trees and destroyed homes were reported in the Tongaat area north of Durban on Monday afternoon after tornadoes tore through the area.
So far five people have lost their lives in the eThekwini Metro, which has been hardest hit and dozens of people are being treated for injuries in health care facilities.
On Tuesday, Disaster response teams were assessing the extent of the damages while providing immediate relief including accommodating displaced residents in government buildings. Tongaat, in the north of Durban recorded the most incidents, with several homes severely damaged, roofs blown off, and trees falling on electricity lines causing power outages.
Meanwhile, snow has been reported in the Karoo Hoogland Municipality in the Northern Cape, the first snow of the season according to the South African Weather Service (SAWS).
As a cut-off low moves over the country from the east to the west, the Eastern Cape has been hit by flooding. Heavy rains, cold temperatures and rough winds are affecting parts of the Western Cape.
On Monday, President Cyril...
