The South African Weather Service has issued a Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging winds in KwaZulu-Natal and Free State, from 10:00 on Monday 19 October, valid until 23:59 on 20 October.
Yellow level 2
Damaging Winds Escourt, Ekuvukeni, Ladysmith + 43 more · from 10:00 on Monday 19 October, valid until 23:59 on 20 October
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Areas
- Escourt
- Ekuvukeni
- Ladysmith
- Hlabisa
- Hluhluwe
- Dannhauser
- Underberg
- Paulpietersburg
- Utrecht
- Dundee
- King Shaka Airport
- Kokstad
- Impendle
- Donnybrook
- Abaqulusi
- Goodhom
- Makatini
- Stanger
- Mandini
- Maphumulo
- M8 Cape Vidal
- M3 Durban
- M4 Tugela Mouth
- M5 Mtunzini
- M7 Nhlabane
- Giants Castle
- Mooi River
- M1 Port Shepstone
- Pomeroy
- Melmoth
- Riverview
- M2 Scottburgh
- M6 Richards Bay
- Ndwedwe
- Newcastle
- Nongoma
- Nqutu
- Royal National Park
- Margate
- Pennington
- Mbazwana
- Richards Bay
- Eshowe
- Howick
- St Faith's (Cathula)
- uPhongolo
Expected impacts
- Localised disruption of small harbours and/or a port for a short period of time
- Difficulty in navigation (eg. Hampered progress due to strong winds)
- Small vessels at risk of taking on water and capsizing in a locality.
- Localised disruptions to beachfront activities.
- Localised damage to settlements (formal and informal).
- Localised problems for high-sided vehicles on prone routes.
What to do: Small to medium boats are advised to stay away from the open sea and seek the shelter of a harbour. In the harbour, moor the boats properly with ample fenders. Avoid going to beaches. Drive with caution, especially high-sided vehicles and trucks. Secure or bring indoors loose items such as chairs, bins, signs and roof sheets.
How SAWS weather warning levels work
The South African Weather Service issues impact-based warnings. They say what the weather could do to people, roads and homes, not only how strong it will be. Each warning has a colour and a level from 1 to 10.
- Yellow (Levels 1 to 4): minor to moderate impact. Local disruption such as flooded streets, travel delays or damage to informal homes. Stay alert.
- Orange (Levels 5 to 8): significant impact. Major travel problems, power cuts, flooding in low-lying areas and damage to property are likely. Prepare and take action.
- Red (Levels 9 and 10): severe impact. Widespread flooding, washed-away roads, damaged buildings and danger to life. Take emergency precautions at once.
The number also reflects how likely the impact is, so two warnings of the same colour can differ in how likely they are to happen. Always follow SAWS and your local disaster management.
