eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda has put disaster management teams on high alert as the city continues to be battered by heavy rain which started on Tuesday. 

“The situation warrants that our disaster management teams must ready themselves to respond with speed in the event their services are required anywhere in the city. We are also calling upon the public to work with us by heeding our warnings. Everyone should be mindful that we are a city that is prone to disasters, largely caused by heavy rains,” said Kaunda.

On Tuesday, the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs sent out disaster management teams ahead of the rain.

According to the municipality, there is a 30% chance of downpours on Wednesday afternoon, with the wet weather expected to clear on Thursday.

“According to the weather service (Saws), rains are expected to hit eThekwini the entire day. To date, between 60mm and 70mm of rain have been recorded, a recipe for localised flooding,” said the eThekwini municipality in a statement on Wednesday.

Kaunda urged motorists to exercise caution on the roads.

“We will only minimise the negative impact of disasters when we work together. The public must not hesitate to call our call centre in the event they need our help. Their welfare comes first and under no circumstances will we dice with their lives,” he said.

More than 30,000 people have been affected by summer storms, which have included tornadoes, hail, lightning and strong winds.