Freak Storm Turns Pietermaritzburg Roads into Rivers, with Hail and Heavy Rains
Freak Storm Turns Pietermaritzburg Roads into Rivers, with Hail and Heavy Rains. Photo: Twitter / Reenval SA / Photo by Ekhard Volker

Home » Freak Storm Turns Pietermaritzburg Roads into Rivers, with Hail and Heavy Rains

Freak Storm Turns Pietermaritzburg Roads into Rivers, with Hail and Heavy Rains

A freak storm pelted Pietermaritzburg in KZN, South Africa, yesterday afternoon at around 15h30, causing localised flooding and damage. The severe thunderstorm – with heavy rains and large golfball-sized hail – lasted half an hour, but left lasting damage. Some trees and power lines fell, parts of roofs were blown off and windows and vehicles […]

23-12-21 09:55
Freak Storm Turns Pietermaritzburg Roads into Rivers, with Hail and Heavy Rains
Freak Storm Turns Pietermaritzburg Roads into Rivers, with Hail and Heavy Rains. Photo: Twitter / Reenval SA / Photo by Ekhard Volker

A freak storm pelted Pietermaritzburg in KZN, South Africa, yesterday afternoon at around 15h30, causing localised flooding and damage.

The severe thunderstorm – with heavy rains and large golfball-sized hail – lasted half an hour, but left lasting damage. Some trees and power lines fell, parts of roofs were blown off and windows and vehicles were damaged by the hail. Traffic guru Rob Beezy posted footage of roads awash with water and said “Pietermaritzburg: when the roads became rivers”.

Businesses were forced to close with the South Africa Post Office tweeting that “due to heavy rain and flooding experienced in Pietermaritzburg (yesterday), the Mayor’s Walk and Pietermaritzburg post office branches will not be operating (today) 23/12/2021.”

Extreme Weather posted a video on YouTube calling it a “terrible storm”. The weather site said that the flooding was “aggravated by the clogging of the storm sewer in Pietermaritztburg”.

Msunduzi Municipality told the Witness that drainage blockages are being attended to, and confirmed that a few houses have been damaged but that full assessments were still needed.

WATCH Videos of Pietermaritzburg’s flash thunderstorm