Flooding reported across Gauteng and Mpumalanga as the rain continues to fall
by Andy WalkerUpdate, 10am, Tuesday 10 December: The South African Weather Service on Tuesday issued further warnings and watches for potential flooding across Gauteng, Mpumalanga and surrounds.
Original article: After persistent rain, parts of Gauteng and Mpumalanga on Monday were affected by flooding according to reports from the South African Weather Service (SAWS) social media.
SAWS this weekend issued a slew of warnings for the entire province of Gauteng, and parts of Mpumalanga.
These primarily warned of heavy rain which could result in flooding.
Flooding reports were also received on Sunday, but the impact on Monday was more widespread.
At the time of writing, Centurion, Mamelodi, and Atteridgeville were among the areas affected.
Videos posted to Twitter portray flooded roads and swollen rivers. In Mamelodi, shacks are up to their roofs in water. In Centurion, cars have been swept away.
“Approximately 70 guests” have also been trapped at the Centurion Hotel. Emergency services are evacuating guests by helicopter.
How much rain has fallen across Gauteng and Mpumalanga?
According to data by SAWS, parts of Gauteng and Mpumalanga received close to 200mm of precipitation between the 2 and 8 December.
More data, taken within a 24-hour period between 8 December and 9 December, explains why some areas of South Africa are under water.
Potchefstroom in the North West received 103mm of rain. Pretoria’s Unisa weather station received 96mm. In Mpumalanga, Ermelo’s weather office saw 97mm fall within this period.
SAWS stressed that the warnings currently in effect for much of northern South Africa will remain throughout today.
Areas under these warnings include the entire province of Gauteng, north-eastern Limpopo, the Mpumalanga highveld, eastern North West, and north-eastern Free State.
Follow the South African Weather Service for flooding updates
Weather is fickle and subject to change, so we’d recommend following SAWS on its official Twitter account.
We’d also suggest following the Pretoria Rekord, City of Tshwane, and Pretoria News for more hyperlocal information.
And be sure to bookmark its warnings portal too, where it regularly updates the advisories and more serious information.
Feature image: Andy Walker/Memeburn