Extensive damage to state-owned vehicles at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development following severe Berg winds in KwaZulu-Natal.
Image: Supplied
Severe Berg wind conditions swept across KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday, bringing destructive gusts of up to 116km/h that caused extensive damage to property and infrastructure, uprooted trees, and led to multiple injuries.
South African Weather Service (SAWS) forecaster Wiseman Dlamini said a Yellow Level 2 alert for damaging winds, which had the potential to lead to runaway fires, was issued for Sunday.
Explaining the Berg conditions, Dlamini said that there were cold fronts that were approaching the Western Cape, with one already in the Eastern Cape.
“Ahead of a cold front, those areas would experience dry and windy conditions and hot conditions as well. It’s because the winds are coming from the interior of the country, and that’s why the air is hot and warm, compared to the cases where, maybe, the front has passed and the wind behind the cold front is cool and cold,” Dlamini said.
Clean-up operations are underway at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development after strong winds caused significant property damage.
Image: Supplied
He said Berg wind conditions in KZN are experienced during Winter .
“You do get strong cold fronts like yesterday’s (Sunday), where the wind was very, very strong, I think some areas were touching about 80 to 100km/h over the inland of KZN. So yes, you can still expect some conditions like this during this period of the winter season because that’s where we get a lot of cold fronts passing our coast,” Dlamini said.
He said Pietermaritzburg was one of the areas that had the strongest recorded winds. The strongest winds, gusting up to 116km/h, occurred on Sunday between 1pm and 3pm. The wind began to strengthen around 1pm (52km/h, gusting 106km/h), peaked at 2pm (56km/h, gusting 116km/h), and subsided after 5pm, though still registering about 30km/h with 74km/h gusts, continuing through to 6pm.
The KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) reported that strong gusts caused extensive damage to property and infrastructure. The severe weather conditions also uprooted trees and triggered runaway fires, leading to dangerous driving conditions in the affected areas.
The department said that fallen trees during strong gusts damaged five state-owned vehicles at the Allerton Provincial Veterinary Laboratory.
The aftermath of destructive winds: State vehicles at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development were left damaged by fallen trees.
Image: Supplied
The department’s assets workstream had started cleanup operations, clearing debris and restoring infrastructure, such as damaged carports.
“We acknowledge the devastation caused by the runaway fires in other areas. We extend our sympathies to the farmers who have been affected. In 2024, we provided thousands of bales to assist farmers in need to offset their losses,” MEC Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa said.
“We are currently monitoring the situation closely. Despite the damage to our assets and infrastructure, there are no casualties reported. Our teams are on the ground assessing the extent of the damage, including the damage to vehicles that had been parked at our offices.”
Meanwhile, Midlands EMS spokesperson Roland Robertson reported that strong winds at Midmar Dam caused a tree to fall onto visitors.
“On arrival, medics found two people in critical condition and several others with minor injuries. Midlands EMS rescue medics and paramedics worked together to stabilise the critically injured using advanced trauma care before transporting them to a nearby specialist hospital. Patients with minor injuries were treated on-site and later transferred for further evaluation,” Robertson said.
thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za