The South African Weather Service (SAWS) stated that local authorities should take stronger measures to ensure that the public pays attention to its warnings to prevent loss of life. This statement comes after heavy snowfall caused significant disruptions in provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, and Eastern Cape over the weekend. As a result of the snow covering the N3 highway between Warden in the Free State province and Tugela Plaza in KwaZulu-Natal, some drivers were stranded in their vehicles for two days.
The authorities in KwaZulu-Natal have confirmed that a woman died of hypothermia due to the severe weather conditions in the province. Weather forecaster Wiseman Dlamini has advised the public to regularly check weather reports to avoid being caught in dangerous conditions.
“We issued the warning as early as Wednesday, and we kept updating the warnings for the public. You can make it a daily duty to check these warnings. We do issue them on our website so that you can find out if you are being affected in that particular municipality,” adds Dlamini.
“Even if you are planning your trip, I think going forward, the weather has to stand out as one of the important things you do before you complete all your planning going forward.”
