As KwaZulu-Natal continues to calculate the cost of heavy snowfall that left motorists stranded for several days, authorities have announced that more snow will fall in parts of the province from Monday.
At a press conference in Durban on Thursday, Transport Minister Siboniso Duma said disaster response teams were on high alert following a snowfall warning issued by the South African Weather Service.
“Yesterday [Wednesday] We have been in contact with SA Weather Services who have advised us that KwaZulu-Natal will experience snowfall from Monday to Tuesday.”
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We understand that SA Weather Services will still be updating their forecast. However, we would like to announce that highly efficient and dedicated teams are now on standby.
The snowfall warning comes days after heavy snowfall last weekend caused chaos in the province, particularly around the N3 Van Reenen Pass.
According to Duma, it is likely that last weekend’s snowfall caused extensive damage to the roads.
“We have commissioned our engineers in consultation with the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) to investigate the impact of the recent heavy snowfall on our road infrastructure and provide us with a report.
“Most climatologists and weather experts agree that this province has never experienced such heavy snowfall.
“They have now informed us that when water and ice seep into existing cracks in our roads and freeze, those cracks turn into large holes,” he said.
Areas likely to see snow next week include Ladysmith, Underberg, Drakensberg and Giant Castle.
READ ALSO | Residents urged to exercise extreme caution as winter rain and snow falls in KZN
“The Road Incident Management Systems (RIMS) led by Sanral, which includes all key players on the national, provincial and municipal road networks, is already working to align one plan.
“They identify areas where joint operations and coordination will take place, covering all notorious roads and areas identified in the past,” Duma said.
The Witness
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