Tornadoes in South Africa are not a recent occurrence. Just like many other natural disasters, they have always occurred. But, what is a tornado? Why would they occur and what do they leave behind? Read on to find out.
A tornado refers to rapidly rotating air columns that come into contact with both the cumulonimbus cloud and Earth's surface or in few rare events, with the cumulus cloud base.
Natural disasters in South Africa 2019
The rate of natural disasters in South Africa 2018 was proof that this is abnormal. Recently in Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, a storm hit the area with experts warning residents to take the necessary precaution as things could get worse.
Bergville residents sent Storm Report SA pictures of what seemed to be yet another mega-storm build-up in the area. It appears as though the worst floods in South Africa are yet to be seen. It was also unclear whether or not anyone was injured from the ordeal.
Importance of tornado warnings
Tornado warning South Africa news is not surprising as this is a common occurrence. Heavy and strong winds are experienced from time to time. Fortunately, the weather department is always on the lookout to notify residents of any expected dangers.
The recent one is said to have come two days after another one wreaked havoc in the farming neighbourhood of New Hanover in the KZN Midlands just this past Tuesday. It killed two people as well as destroyed property that is worth a lot of money.
According to the weather service in SA, these storms are common as they usually come about in spring and summer.
Experts explained that the tornadoes occurring in South Africa last for about three to five minutes as opposed to those in countries such as the USA, mainly because of different wind directions.
The warning issued by the department revealed that there was going to be flooding on the entire coast. Reports from on-lookers claim that the storm touched the ground a couple of times. The emergency response team has been working round the clock to help support the affected people.
READ ALSO: Viral photos show extent of Durban storm: Collapsed roads and floods
History of tornadoes South Africa
As history would have it, tornadoes and tremors keep recurring in Mzansi. These incidences go way back to the 40s. The following are a few of the notable tornadoes that have occurred in South Africa over the years. Some of them caused many fatalities and injuries while others were's that dangerous.
Earthquakes South Africa
Apart from tornadoes, South Africa suffers from other naturally occurring disasters such as earthquakes. Earth tremors in South Africa are also a common phenomenon. Earthquake in South Africa is caused by several things both natural and human-triggered. Some of the most common causes of earthquakes in South Africa include:
- Mining activities. This has been experienced, especially in areas such as Welkom, Klerksdorp and Carletonville, where a slip on the fault lines caused the release of elastic energy triggering the earth tremors.
- The earthquake may also occur when an underneath earth-rock collapses suddenly along fault lines, causing seismic waves. This seismic activity South Africa gets to feel like an earthquake. Two rock blocks rub against each other and stick. Any slight cause of movement causes them to detach, break, and form an earthquake
The following are some of the areas most impacted by earthquakes in South Africa. The list showcases areas that have been hit in the past few years.
- Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal. It occurred in 2019-10-31 at 11:19:23 UTC. The magnitude recorded was 4.3 and it had a depth of 10 km.
- Thabazimbi in Limpopo. It occurred in 2019-10-18 with a 3.6 magnitude and a 10 km depth.
- Virginia in Orange Free State. It occurred in 2019- 3-22 with a 4.9 magnitude and a 5 km depth.
- Fochville, North-West. It occurred in 2019-3-7 with a 4.8 magnitude and a 10 km depth.
- Soweto, Gauteng. It occurred in 2019-3-1 with a 4.8 magnitude and a 5 km depth.
- Stilfontein in the North-West. It occurred in 2018-10-27.
- Orkney, North-West. It occurred in 2018-9-15 with a 2.2 magnitude and 5 km depth.
- Carolina, Mpumalanga. It took place in 2018-7-19 with a 3.6 magnitude and a 10 km depth.
Historically, the Tulbagh earthquake happened on 29 September 1969 with a magnitude of 6.3. Until today, it remains one of the most devastating and destructive tremors in Mzansi. It happened in the Tulbag area and was even stronger than what destroyed the Milnerton farm in 1809 when the Cape Town earthquake hit the area.
Tornadoes in South Africa are among the most devastating natural disasters. Coupled with earthquakes, they can leave a lot of damages behind. It is imperative that people heed to the call and warnings given prior to such disasters.
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