Weather service confirms tornado hit Randfontein, forecasts a hot weekend

The SA Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado hit parts of Randfontein on Wednesday which damaged many homes and left families displaced, but predicted a hot weekend in various parts of the country.

A severe storm swept through part of the West Rand, leaving about 190 families displaced and more than 20 people injured as hundreds of homes and apartments were damaged.

“There was evidence gathered from meteorological radar that recorded circulating debris around the Randfontein area on Wednesday. A yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms was issued in the morning of Wednesday for Gauteng, Mpumalanga the northeastern Free State as well as KwaZulu-Natal,” said forecaster Lehlohonolo Thobela.

He said northern parts of KZN were expecting heavy downpours that might lead to localised flooding, and a possibility of damaging winds and hail.

However, the storms occurred over the central and southern parts of Gauteng, said Thobela.

“A tornado was observed around areas of Randfontein,” he said.

Rand West municipality mayor William Matsheke said 220 houses were destroyed in Toekomsrus and 400 flats in Greenfields.

He said the displaced families would be provided with food and temporary shelter but some residents of Toekomsrus chose not to move to other areas for shelter.

“This tornado was devastating,” Matsheke said.

No weather warnings are issued for Thursday as partly cloudy conditions are expected to continue in the central and eastern parts of the country with isolated showers and thundershowers predicted for the afternoon. This will cover the Eastern Cape, KZN, Mpumalanga and the eastern parts of Limpopo, said Thobela.

Drizzle is expected on Friday along the escarpment of Mpumalanga with a 30% chance of showers and rain predicted for the east coast.

Fine conditions are expected on Saturday over most parts of the country with hot temperatures expected for the central parts but it will be very hot in the northern parts of the Northern Cape, Thobela said.

“On Sunday we expect isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers mainly over the east coast and the eastern half of the Eastern Cape into KZN but these showers will become scattered along the east coast over the southeast coast of KZN into the eastern half of the Eastern Cape.

Warm to hot weather is expected in the central interior into the western interior but it will remain hot over the northern parts of the Northern Cape on Sunday, Thobela said.

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