Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain caused widespread disruption in parts of the Vhembe region on Monday and Tuesday, leading to localised flooding and damage to infrastructure.
On Monday, the Makhado Municipality issued a notice warning residents of increased electrical faults on its network due to the wet conditions.
“We are currently experiencing elevated fault levels across the electricity network. As a result, response and restoration times may be impacted. Our technical teams are actively attending to reported faults and working diligently to restore services as quickly and safely as possible,” the notice read.
According to the South African Weather Service (SAWS), heavy rains were expected to continue on Tuesday, 3 March, with severe thunderstorms predicted from early morning until just after midday across the Vhembe area and other parts of Limpopo, including Musina, Thohoyandou, Makhado, Giyani, Tzaneen, Polokwane, Blouberg, Alldays, Dendron, Letaba, and Phalaborwa.
Earlier on Tuesday, SAWS issued a yellow level 4 warning for severe thunderstorms, forecasting heavy downpours, damaging winds, hail, and lightning that could cause flooding and damage to infrastructure and settlements in northern Limpopo, mainly during the morning. The warning was later downgraded to a yellow level 2, extending similar conditions to central Limpopo until the afternoon.
The warnings come as many communities in Limpopo are still recovering from the destructive floods that affected parts of the province and the Kruger National Park in January.
Rainfall measurements in parts of Louis Trichardt recorded 33 mm on Monday and 32 mm on Tuesday night. However, Albasini Dam resident Laurie Bannatyne reported 90 mm of rain falling at the dam from Monday evening until Tuesday morning, prompting the opening of two sluice gates later on 3 March.