The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has warned the public to avoid water courses like rivers, streams and dams, during the continuous heavy rains across Gauteng, Mpumalanga provinces, and other parts of the country, where rains have been persistent.
In a statement, the department said large parts of Gauteng have already been affected by flash floods due to the current heavy rainfall.
Residents are urged to remain indoors and avoid walking, driving or attempting to cross bridges in areas with high water levels or heavy water current.
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"As the rainfall continues, most of the dams will also experience high volumes and the public is also urged to avoid being close to the dams and areas of water," the department said.
The department also warned against recreational activities, such as swimming or fishing in areas with strong moving currents in the water.
It further appealed to groups conducting religious activities, including river baptisms, to exercise extreme caution and avoid areas with strong currents.
The warning follows a Level 9 alert issued by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) for disruptive rain and severe thunderstorms in Gauteng and Mpumalanga over the weekend.
As part of its preventative flood management measures, the department said it has started to implement dam releases according to its safety protocols.
At the Vaal Dam, outflows were increased from 17 to 60 m³/s on Sunday morning, while Bloemhof Dam's outflow was raised from 60 to 120 m³/s.
By Sunday morning, the both the Vaal and Bloemhof Dams were recorded at 104.07% and 98.88% capacity respectively. The department said the outflows are necessary to manage the river systems for the potential increases in inflows into the catchment, due to continuous rainfall.
However, it stressed that while the outflows are significant, they are not expected to cause rivers to overflow their banks.
The DWS reiterated its commitment to closely monitor the inflow water levels at both Vaal and Bloemhof Dams, to ensure compliance with safety protocols and protect critical infrastructure, while mitigating potential flood risks.
"Water is a very powerful force, and it cannot be taken lightly. Water safety is very important to both young and old during severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall."
Weather outlook
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For Monday and Tuesday, 17-18 November 2025, partly cloudy and cool to warm conditions are expected, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers over central and eastern regions, and widespread over the north-eastern regions.
