The South African Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado was formed by a directionless storm in Kwazulu Natal on Tuesday afternoon.
The weather service explained that a storm, developed from the coastal part of Durban at around 13:00. The storm then “cycled around”, meaning it was not moving forward or backward until roughly 14:00 when it moved over and formed a tornado.
The main area affected was the Inanda Valley with residents flocking to social media to share footage of the weather phenomenon.
Phoenix, Ndwedwe region. KZN.. Pummelled by a tornado pic.twitter.com/wqsHFRLHR0
— Ssandritaa M (@MahadeoSeems) June 27, 2023
Two people have been hospitalized and treated for minor injuries sustained during the tornado.
On Tuesday, a yellow level two warning was issued for the south-eastern parts of the province and an orange level six for the Ugu district.
As for Wednesday, a yellow level two warning for destructive rain for the southeastern part of the province was issued.
Level six means there is a high likelihood of heavy rain, wind, and damage. The SAWS urged residents to seek shelter during torrential rain and strong winds in parts of the province.
National Sea Rescue Institute’s (NSRI) response team was activated following the heavy rain experienced in Umbilo, Durban yesterday.
According to the NSRI Durban report, at least 4 vehicles washed off the Umbilo River bridge at Heaton Nicholls Drive in flash floods during the heavy downpour.
One vehicle had reportedly been stuck against a tree where the driver managed to free himself from the vehicle and he had climbed the tree to escape the fast-flowing flooded river that had broken its banks.
The man could be seen high in a tree with flood waters washing around the tree and over his vehicle which was on its side and appeared to be wrapped around the tree.
The man was safely rescued and was driven home by NSRI.
Aid to storm-hit communities
Humanitarian Aid organisation, Gift of the Givers is set to visit and provide relief to communities affected by Tuesday’s storm.
The organisation says they have been in constant communication with individuals in their network, councilors, and disaster management teams following the storm.
Teams were unable to assess the impact of the tornado immediately after with the ongoing rain, traffic volumes, and darkness settling in.
Organisation founder Imtiaz Sooliman, however, says thus far the feedback is very encouraging compared to the floods of 11 April 2022, even though many roads were flooded and areas were impassable in the CBD and surrounding communities.
“There has not been much destruction, informal settlements have not been washed away, bridges, roads, water and power infrastructure were intact, and loss of life was minimal. The sun is bright today, roads are fully functional and citizens of this resilient province are on the move.”
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