Durban — A hail storm in Pietermaritzburg turned parts of the capital of KwaZulu-Natal into a winter wonderland on Monday afternoon.
According to residents, the storm which hit around 1pm, was very strong with heavy winds and hail that made it dangerous on the roads too.
Colette van Loggerenberg said the hail caused a lot of garden damage.
On the plus side, according to the Jacaranda Lodge - Retirement Facility: “What a storm with hail. Now we live in a winter wonderland.”
One resident said they could feel the cold in Mariannhill.
Another resident said the hail storm reminded them of 11 years ago when it snowed in Harrismith. It was the first time they had seen snow.
The storm had reportedly been brewing since 10am on the South Coast.
Aarisa Aarisa said around 4pm, they were experiencing strong winds on the South Coast and the sea looked scary.
On Monday afternoon, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued a yellow level 2 warning for thunderstorms in KwaZulu-Natal from 2pm to 8pm.
The storms were observed over parts of Harry Gwala, uMgungundlovu and moving towards the east and south-east and were expected to affect parts of uMzinyathi and uThukela.
According to SAWS, the storms were to be accompanied by hail, heavy downpours, strong damaging winds and severe lightning.
The storms could also lead to:
Localised damage to vehicles and structural damage due to hail.
Localised damage to infrastructure is possible.
Localised flooding due to heavy downpours.
Minor vehicle accidents and difficult driving conditions and increased travelling times are possible.
Localised injuries due to flying debris is possible.
Yellow level 2 warning: Thunderstorms: KZN: 8 August 2022 pic.twitter.com/HJt3FXovFp
— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) August 8, 2022
— The Great One (@Kash786787) August 8, 2022
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Sipho Hlomuka warned communities to be cautious as inclement weather conditions were expected in parts of the province.
Cogta placed all Disaster Management Teams on high alert and urged communities to exercise the utmost caution as these inclement weather conditions pose a serious risk to human life.
Daily News