Extreme snowfall caused major road disruptions in South Africa on September 21.
Points of attention
- Unusual extreme snowfall in South Africa has caused major road disruptions and the closure of key highways
- Forecasters predict more snow in South Africa with the issuance of the second-highest warning for certain regions
- The rare phenomenon of heavy snowfall has attracted the attention of local residents who haven't seen snow in the region for decades
- Emergency services are working to assist people stuck in vehicles due to the heavy snowfall, with the extent of casualties still unknown
- A separate weather event in Shanghai, China saw extreme downpours and evacuation of thousands of people due to Typhoon Pulasan
South Africa is falling asleep with snow: this has not happened for decades
According to authorities, the key N 3 highway connecting Johannesburg and the city of Durban on the east coast was one of the hardest hit, with several sections closed and even bypasses of the highway impassable.
Emergency services worked to reach people stuck in vehicles, but it is still unknown how many victims there are and in what condition they are.
In some areas, up to two meters of snow fell as a result of unusually strong weather.
Meanwhile, meteorologists in South Africa are expecting more snow, having issued the second-highest orange warning for several regions of the country.
It is noted that the rare phenomenon attracted the attention of people who saw the snow.
Some South Africans enjoying the snow ❄️ pic.twitter.com/XkdL6GWofh
— Maki Marish (@MakiMarish) September 21, 2024
South African resident Justin Nadasem Baker drove three hours from Johannesburg with his family to Warden, about 50 km from Harrismith.
It was a three-hour journey. We are in high spirits. It had been many, many years since we had seen snow.
Heavy downpours in Shanghai: what is known
In Shanghai, 112,000 people were evacuated from dangerous areas due to the Pulasan typhoon, which brought extreme downpours to the metropolis on September 20.
In order to prevent casualties and minimize material damage, the city authorities ordered to return to the ports 649 ships that were at sea, and to suspend the movement of 54 trains and 26 ferries.
According to forecasters, the rain in Shanghai began to intensify from 2 a.m. on September 20, and by 9 a.m. the average rainfall in the city had reached 73.3 mm, and 151 weather stations out of 614 operating in the city recorded heavy or extreme rainfall levels.
Thus, data from stations in two districts of the city showed more than 300 mm of precipitation within six hours, breaking historical records for these places since the beginning of meteorological observations.
Pulasan, the 14th typhoon of the year, hit Shanghai on the evening of September 19, two days after the 13th typhoon Bebinca hit the city on September 16 and is considered the strongest typhoon to hit the metropolis in 75 years.
More on the topic
- Category
- Events
- Publication date
- Додати до обраного
