LEVEL 9 weather warning for widespread FLOODING in KZN

The SA Weather Service (SAWS) has issued orange level 9 and level 5 weather warnings for KwaZulu-Natal from tonight, 11 February until tomorrow at 10:00.

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Weather warning for flooding in KZN

The tropical low along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal will unleash heavy rainfall tonight and tomorrow morning.

This could cause widespread flooding in the northern interior of KwaZulu-Natal and the coast and surrounding areas.

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Severe impacts may hit the northern coastline tomorrow morning.

Impacts:

• Widespread flooding will inundate settlements and roads, causing damage to property and infrastructure.
• Disruption to traffic flow due to major roads being flooded or closed.
• Communities may be cut off and inaccessible
• Danger to life due to fast and deep flowing water

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Safety while driving in rain

Arrive Alive has issued some tips when driving in severe weather.

• To keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead of you, increase the three-second rule to five-six seconds.
• Slow down if it is raining and the roads are wet. Remove your foot from the accelerator and gradually reduce your speed.
• Never apply the brakes abruptly as this may cause the car to skid.
• Slow down and be prepared to move to the left shoulder if an oncoming vehicle is overtaking from the opposite direction and will not be able to do so safely.
• Only move towards the shoulder if you can see 150m ahead of you clearly. Keep in mind that pedestrians may be walking on the shoulder to avoid mud on the road’s surface.

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• Be cautious of oil patches. Do not slam on the brakes; instead, steer through. Patches will be small in most cases.
• Before taking a bend, especially a sharp bend, always shift into a lower gear. As you approach the bend, your speed should be at its slowest, and both hands should be on the steering wheel. When driving around a bend, this slow in/fast out technique gives you the most control.
• Double your normal following distance from 3 seconds to 6 seconds to increase your space cushion.
• Switch on your headlights.
• Other vehicles in the rear and in blind spots should be avoided because they are difficult to see through rain-splattered windows.

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