Heavy rainfall floods Eastern Cape
EASTERN Cape residents can forget the suntan lotion and beach towels because they are better off with umbrellas and gumboots this summer - thanks to the wet weather phenomenon La Nina.
EXTREME WEATHER: A group of children play in a flooded section of the road leading to the Fort Grey Clinic. PHOTO: MARK ANDREWSAccording to forecasters La Nina, which brings with it wetter-than-normal summers, has set in from December and is due to stay until April next year. La Nina involves the cooling of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific, causing a general global cooling.
Eastern Cape residents have already experienced a foretaste of the phenomenon, with heavy deluges in many parts of the province last week turning playing fields into swimming pools and roads into rivers.
In Nelson Mandela Bay the total rainfall for November was almost double the norm - 97mm at the Port Elizabeth Airport compared with an annual average of 49mm.
"National rainfall will be above normal for at least the next five months," said Hugh van Niekerk, a Mandela Bay-based SA Weather Service meteorologist.
"The minimum temperatures in the interior will be below normal, while maximum temperatures will also be lower than normal."
La Nina is typically linked to extreme weather conditions, including heavy downpours of rain, although Van Niekerk said it had not been linked to climate change.
Last week the World Meteorological Organisation said this year had been the warmest on record for a year in which La Nina had occurred.
Temperatures are usually higher during El Nino, the weather phenomenon typically associated with drought and heat, which brought Eastern Cape farmers to their knees in 2009 and early 2010.
"Any rainfall is welcome, because they [farmers] expe-rienced a couple of dry seasons [in the Eastern Cape]," said Agri SA economist Dawie Maree.
Sandile84
I thought the eastern and western cape will experience drought instead of heavy rainfall. Compared to Thailand, the rainfall in the eastern cape is nothing. Watch Youtube videos of Thailand floods and you'll see what I am talking about, whole cities have been turned into giant swimming pools and lakes.Report Abuse
Papage
Takr precusion right now, those kids playing in the water will soon have cholera or some will be wiped away by water, whoever is listening, please stop the kids from playing in the dirty water or to avoid rivers. we like to be re-ective rather than Pro-active, I see disater in the waiting. Parents look after your children, if they dont listen, make them listen use your belts if you can, forget the Act, it will never teach you child life leasons.Report Abuse
Mutsonga
Mpfula i xikombiso xa minkateko, kambe loko yi na ku hundza mpimo ya onha.Report Abuse
MR.V1
@LIKHUWAvhangasi kumbiwe vhomakhulu mvula idisa zwiliwa shangoni. avha vhofholowe musanda.
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shaharazad
Govt should invest on extracting and distributing overland water to drought stricken areas of the country, boost the water table, especially in the north west of the country. they could also use flood waters to recharge dried river beds, instead of squandering the money on expensive wines and replenishing their already massive belliesReport Abuse