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A severe storm or tornado has left a trail of destruction in Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape. (Meteorological Service of SA)
- A strong storm with winds of up to 140 km / h has left a trail of destruction in Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape.
- The provincial Education Department is auditing the number of schools damaged by the storm.
- The Eastern Cape Department of Transportation has warned motorists to drive with caution, as some of the province’s roads are wet from the rain.
A strong storm, with winds of up to 140 km / h, has left a trail of destruction in Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape.
Garth Sampson, a spokesman for the Port Elizabeth office of the SA Weather Service (SAWS), said the national SAWS office was looking into the Mthatha incident.
“The bureau is looking into the incident, because there was confusion as to whether it was a storm or a tornado. We are awaiting a full report from Johannesburg,” he said.
The Mthatha airport, as well as an undisclosed number of schools and homes, were left with damage to the walls, while the roofs and doors were completely blown off during the severe weather conditions Tuesday night.
The doors of the airport terminal building, as well as a nearby car rental building, were damaged in the storm, said Eastern Cape Transportation Department spokesman Khuselwa Rantjie.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape Education Department said the storm caused structural damage to classrooms and administrative blocks.
A severe storm or tornado has left a trail of destruction in Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape. (Meteorological Service of SA)
Gwayibanjwa Upper Secondary School in the Eastern Cape is one of many Mthatha schools that were left with structural damage due to a severe storm. (SA meteorological services)
The glass doors of Mthatha Airport in the Eastern Cape were ripped off their hinges by a severe storm with high winds. (SA meteorological services)
(Meteorological Service of SA)
(Meteorological Service of SA)
(Meteorological Service of SA)
(Meteorological Service of SA)
(Meteorological Service of SA)
(Meteorological Service of SA)
“We are still doing the full audit of all the schools that were damaged by the storm. Severe weather is still among us in the Eastern Cape, it is still raining in some parts of the province. We will have a full report of the number of schools damaged on Friday, “said Malibongwe Mtima provincial education spokesman.
Sampson said: “It was a short-lived storm that struck at dusk and moved from the west. [a] A severe storm that passed over the Mthatha area and its surroundings, causing damage mainly to the Mthatha Airport and Ngwayibanjwa Upper Secondary School. The winds went from almost 0 to 140 km / h in seconds. ”
Rantjie said: “The airport administration is currently busy with a clean-up exercise while [the] the cost of the damage has yet to be counted. At this stage, the airport’s operations have not been affected. “
He warned motorists to drive with caution as the roads were slippery.
“We would like to warn motorists to drive, paying attention to the road conditions. It may be that you are traveling in a 120 km zone, however, because the road is wet and may be slippery, we advise you to reduce speed accordingly. In some areas, there are [moisture] which could reduce visibility. As road users, we must be more cautious, “said Rantjie.
Mthatha residents on Facebook posted videos of the storm on Wednesday.
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