Nelson Mandela Bay residents woke to the pitter-patter of much needed rainfall on Tuesday morning.
The gentle downpour was soon amplified and saw parts of Gqeberha being transformed by streams of water pouring down and pooling in streets and reports of flooding in various parts of the metro.
By midday, the heavy showers had dissipated but not without contributing to the Bay’s catchment areas and potentially increasing the dam levels from the latest total capacity reading of 20.84% on Tuesday, of which 5.39% is dead storage.
The highest rainfall figures in the region were recorded in the Langkloof, peaking at 22mm in certain areas.
According to SA Weather Service (SAWS) spokesperson Garth Sampson’s Facebook page “Weather Guru” as much as 7.4mm of rain had fallen in Kariega by midmorning on Tuesday.
The 3rd Avenue dip recorded the second most rainfall in the city with 7mm, followed by the Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport with 5.8mm.
Motorists are advised to drive with caution as several roads across the city have flooded including sections of Newton Park, Central, Korsten, as well as the R75 and M4 Settlers freeway, among other sections.
At least three vehicles were involved in accidents across Nelson Mandela Bay on Tuesday morning according to the Port Elizabeth Traffic Updates Facebook page.
According to SAWS, Tuesdays downpour is due to a steep upper-air system that cut off from the main westerly flow, developing into a cut-off low pressure system along the west coast of SA.
By Wednesday, the tail of the cut-off low is expected to result in continued rainfall over the Western Cape, while rainfall and cooler temperatures will spread to KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
Earlier this month, more than 1,200 Bay residents were evacuated from their homes after rain pelted the Bay with between 57mm and 117mm in less than three days.
However, Nelson Mandela Bay remains in a dire drought situation and residents are urged to use water sparingly.
Climate and energy expert Nick Hedley had previously said Nelson Mandela Bay faced a difficult couple of years ahead as the world shifted into an El Niño weather phase, which means hotter, drier weather for the city.
“El Niño will amplify the increasing impacts of climate change,” Hedley said.
“The municipality needs to take urgent steps to ensure water security, including fixing leaks throughout its water infrastructure network and considering investments in desalination plants.”
HeraldLIVE