Residents report Welkom hit by 'tornado'

Several homes and businesses were damaged when a funnel of wind similar to a tornado ripped through Welkom on Sunday. 

According to local radio station GoldFM, there was serious damage due to severe weather conditions.

“Please also note that the Welkom fire station also sustained serious damage and all communication is currently offline.”

Numerous residents posted pictures on social media of damage caused by the severe weather. 

The South African Weather Service on Sunday issued a weather alert for disruptive rains in several municipalities across the Free State.

It warned electricity supply could be affected as heavy rainfall is expected to cause localised flooding in areas including informal settlements and on roads.

Municipalities that are expected to be affected include the Mangaung Metro, Moqhaka, Maliti-aPhofung, Tswelopele, Masilonyana, Mafube and Nketoana.

This is a developing story.

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