Pretoria – As residents and emergency response workers were still busy with mop-up operations after a fierce storm ravaged parts of Joburg last week, more rain which could lead to flooding is expected to hit the City on Monday afternoon until evening.
The SA Weather Service has issued a level 5 warning for severe thunderstorms in certain areas in Gauteng.
SA weather service forecaster Dipuo Tawana said level 5 means there will be a significant amount of rain which would lead to floods, resulting in damage to low lying bridges, roads and infrastructure.
She said with the ground already saturated, any little amount of rain might result in flooding.
The rain is expected in the City of Joburg, Ekurhuleni, Emfuleni, Lesedi, Merafong City, Midvaal, Morale City, Rand West City, Randfontein and Greater West Rand.
Speaking to eNCA, Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla said there is flooding in Albertina Sisulu Road next to Florida Lake in Florida due to structural damaged cause by the heavy rains.
“We also received a report that there is a large crack developing at Hendrik Potgieter road in Little Falls and that’s between Zandfleit and Johan road.
“In Soweto, currently Ndaba and Manotse street in Protea, is currently closed off and JRA are on the scene and trying to repair the damage,” he said.
Fihla advised motorists to avoid low lying bridges as the are prone to flooding.
Meanwhile, Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse has, on behalf of City Power, submitted an urgent request to Eskom for exclusion from load shedding for 72 hours.
This is to allow City Power to work on power lines and infrastructure.
According to reports, City Power alone experienced more than 4 000 outages.
“At this point, the damage cannot be calculated, but it is an ongoing exercise. Councillors and residents have been encouraged by the presence of the mayor and her executive to get first-hand information and to direct resources accordingly,” said the mayor’s spokesperson Mabine Seabe
City Power said it has deployed all available technical resources and adjusted working hours to deal with the electrical crisis unfolding in Joburg.
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