SANRAL cautions public of severe weather conditions, including heavy rains and snow, in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY

SANRAL cautions public of severe weather conditions, including heavy rains and snow, in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape

Pretoria, 29 September 2024 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has encouraged the public to heed the warnings of severe weather conditions predicted by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) from Sunday, 29 October, through to Tuesday, 1 October 2024.

The conditions include heavy rains and extremely low temperatures, with snowfall expected in some parts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

“We have seen how severe and dangerous these weather conditions can get as recently as last weekend, when heavy snowfall along the N3 in KwaZulu-Natal resulted in the loss of a life. We appeal to the public to avoid travelling as much as possible during this time, for their own safety and the safety of others,” said Vusi Mona, SANRAL’s General Manager for Marketing and Communications.

“SANRAL’s road maintenance teams are on standby to attend to any incidences that might hinder mobility on affected parts of our network. We will work alongside the provincial disaster management teams and other relevant organs of state to ensure the safety and well-being of the public along the network,” said Mona.

The South African Weather Service forecast inclement weather in the following areas of KwaZulu-Natal:

  • Ladysmith
  • Underberg
  • Drakensberg
  • Giant’s Castle and other high-ground areas
  • Durban and other coastline areas (with severe rain on Tuesday)

The South African Weather Service issued a Level 1 warning of light snow in high ground in parts of the Eastern Cape on Monday:

  • Penhoek Pass on the N6 between Komani and James Calata (formerly Jamestown)
  • Barkly Pass on the R58 between Lady Grey and Barkly East
  • The N10 between Middleburg and Nxuba (formerly Cradock)
  • R61 near Graaff Reinet
  • R56 between Cedarville and Elliot

Mona said, “While the snowfall is expected to be light in the affected parts of the Eastern Cape, we want to urge road users to avoid slippery roads at all costs and use alternative routes if they cannot postpone travel. We also urge road users to ensure that they have the latest weather reports when travelling to enable better planning for their trips.”

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