Ekurhuleni urges caution amid severe weather

The City of Ekurhuleni's Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) is urging residents to exercise caution amid severe weather conditions that are causing widespread power outages and dangerous weather phenomena. A Yellow Level 2 warning from the South African Weather Service has been issued for severe thunderstorms and very low temperatures across the city.

These weather events have led to a high volume of calls to the DEMS customer service center, prompting the organization to dispatch teams to all affected areas to repair faults and restore power supply around the clock.

DEMS Spokesperson William Ntladi expressed concerns over heavy downpours and strong winds in some parts of Ekurhuleni. He emphasized the importance of residents switching off all heat sources when going to bed and avoiding the use of open fires outdoors, as strong winds could lead to rapidly spreading fires. Ntladi also stressed the significance of maintaining proper spacing between structures, especially in informal settlements where closely built homes could see fires spread quickly to multiple residences due to strong winds.

Additionally, the DEMS has highlighted the dangers of carelessly discarding lit cigarette butts in areas where dry vegetation is prevalent, as this can easily ignite and cause massive veld fires, particularly under the influence of strong winds. Forecast for the following day indicates cloudy and cold to cool conditions with 30-60% chances of showers and rain over central, eastern, and parts of RSA, but higher probabilities of 80% in southeastern and eastern regions, where snowfall is expected in mountainous areas of Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga, and Free State.