South Africa

South Africa, Maverick News

Severe weather strikes Pretoria: tornado and flooding wreak havoc, prompting urgent safety warnings

John Voster drive and Rabie street closed to motorists due to heavy rain in centurion on 19 February 2025.(Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

By Nonkululeko Njilo

19 Feb 2025

The Pretoria tornado was initially reported as a flooding incident to the Emergency Communication Centre on Tuesday night, after which the centre immediately dispatched firefighting resources to the scene.

A catastrophic tornado has left a trail of destruction in Montana, north of Pretoria, causing extensive damage to vehicles and buildings. Trees were uprooted and roofs were violently torn off dwellings, leaving homes exposed and vulnerable.

In some instances, external geysers were torn from their fixtures, and corrugated iron sheets were ripped away by the ferocious winds.

Local residents who witnessed the tornado were in disbelief. Moipone Selepe said she had been driving from work when the tornado struck.

“It started getting dark and really windy, so I had no choice but to drive inside it. I have never been so scared and confused, I really saw my life flash in front of my eyes.”

Selepe was fortunate to find her flat with the roof still intact.

“I have never been so grateful to have a ground floor apartment,” she said.

Meanwhile Charlotte Maake said she immediately stopped and left her car in the middle of the tornado.

“It was really bad, scary, and for a moment I thought my car was going to fly.”

This tornado comes after the South African Weather Service’s (Saws) warning on Sunday, 16 February 2025, that heavy on-and-off showers were expected across several provinces this week, through to Thursday morning (16 to 20 February). The affected areas include North West, Gauteng, the northern Free State, the highveld areas of Mpumalanga and southwestern Limpopo.

Warning issued

On Wednesday morning, the weather service issued yet another warning, indicating that the danger was far from over. This time, an orange level 6 warning was issued for heavy rain, which could lead to the flooding of roads and settlements, property and infrastructure damage, and risks to life due to fast-moving water. The warning also highlighted major disruptions to traffic caused by flooded roads, with Gauteng, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga expected to be the most affected.

The Pretoria tornado was initially reported as a flooding incident to the Emergency Communication Centre on Tuesday night, after which the centre immediately dispatched firefighting resources to the scene, according to the city’s Lindsay Mnguni.

“Upon arrival, the firefighters found that there was significant damage caused by the storm, which had uprooted some trees and blown away the corrugated iron roof sheets of buildings, carports and other structures in the area along the Sefako Makgatho Drive.

Protea South resident Makarabo Tsiu stands in front of her home. She says floods have been bothering her for years when it rains. (Photo: Bheki Simelane)

Heavy rain caused severe damage to trees on Enkeldoring Street in Montana, Pretoria. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

“The residential complex in Veda Street near Enkeldoorn Street was badly affected as several of the buildings within the complex suffered major damage, especially on the upper floors and the roofs as external geysers and corrugated iron roof sheets were brought to the ground by the strong wind, leaving the structures of the units exposed to the falling rain,” Mnguni said.

Mnguni added that rainwater seeped through and caused water damage on the top floors of residential units, which ultimately led to the residents’ evacuation. They were sheltered temporarily in neighbouring units.

Other flooding incidents

While the City’s disaster management team remains on scene assessing the damage and how it can assist affected families, the City said it had since received other calls of flooding incidents in the other areas such as in Mabopane, in Pretoria North.

Provinces such as the North West and Free State have not been spared as the weather service has issued an orange level 5 warning, forecasting significant rainfall in several parts of the provinces.

Enkeldoring Street in Montana, Pretoria, after the rains. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

The rains caused severe damage to the roof of a block of flats on Enkeldoring Street. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Damage to a window and roof on Veda Street in Montana, Pretoria, on 19 February 2025. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

The service warned that the heavy rain could directly cause the flooding of roads and settlements, potentially causing damage to property, infrastructure, and livelihoods, as well as threatening livestock. The rainfall is also likely to disrupt essential services like water, electricity, and communications. Major roads are also expected to be flooded or closed, leading to significant traffic disruptions.

Videos shared on social media platforms suggest that places like Parys in the Free State have already experienced flooding as residents can be seen rescuing one another from fast-flowing waters, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Why is there a risk of flooding when it rains?

Dr Christien Engelbrecht, the lead scientist in Long-Range Prediction at Saws, said that the current rainfall and flood warnings were typical for this time of year, especially during La Niña conditions. She noted that La Niña was currently present, with cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific Ocean. However, forecasts suggest a shift to a neutral state between March and May, Daily Maverick reported.

Johannesburg on high alert

Despite a level six warning in Gauteng, there have not been any major incidents in Johannesburg according to City’s emergency services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi, who said they would remain on high alert nonetheless.

A pedestrian walks on Lenchen Avenue in Centurion before it was closed to traffic due to the heavy rains. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

“There have been no major incidents reported overnight or this morning throughout the City of Johannesburg due to the disruptive rainfall that we have been receiving throughout this week. Residents are urged to continue to be safe, avoid crossing streams while conducting daily activities, and our motorists are also urged to continue to extend a safe following distance, and to avoid crossing flooded roads and low-lying bridges.

“From our side as the City of Johannesburg, we remain on high alert monitoring all seven regions for any emergencies that may occur,” Mulaudzi said.

The N1 highway between Pretoria and Johannesburg during heavy rain on 19 February 2025. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Soweto

The shack of Dolly Mkhonza, a 62-year-old resident from Protea South, gets totally flooded when it rains as water comes through the door area and roof.

“When it rains like this I, together with my grandchildren, literally cannot get out of bed. We stay in bed the entire time until the rain subsides, and we can then remove the water and get on with our lives,” Mkhonza said.

“When that happens we cannot do many things. We cannot cook, we cannot touch electricity, we cannot do anything. We have to sit on the bed until the rain is done and we can remove the water from the shack,” she added.

“The floods affect us a lot. When it rains, the sewage that’s ever-flowing in the main street flows into the house, making our lives unbearable. The result is that it causes illness,” said Makarabo Tsiu, 35, a resident of Protea South who has been living in the area for 10 years.

Lenchen Avenue in Centurion was closed to motorists. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

John Voster Drive and Rabie Street were also closed to motorists due to the heavy rains. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

“As we speak, my sister-in-law is very sick with Asthma. At the Chiawelo Clinic they told her that she has an infection,” Tsiu said.

“The floods affect us a lot. Even the children cannot go anywhere because the water flows all the way into the bedroom,” Tsiu added.

“The stream of water comes in when it rains like its raining now. But my shack now has a smell because when the water comes in I cannot remove it because I cannot stand properly as I am very sick,” said Sizani Zakwe, 57.

“ I would like the City of Johannesburg to help me by pouring sandstone all over my yard so that the water does not come into my shack,” Zakwe said.

Zakwe has been living in the area since 1993.

Walkways and passages in the area are also flooded and have drastically limited the usually busy flow of people.

Safety tips from Saws

Avoid crossing rivers and swollen streams where the water rises above your ankles.

Move to higher ground if rising water levels are observed.

Refrain from travelling on bridges or roads in low-lying areas, which are particularly vulnerable to flooding.

Never drive into water covering the road. You do not know how deep it is or if the road has been washed away.

If your vehicle stalls, leave it immediately and seek higher ground. DM

Additional reporting by Bheki C. Simelane.

For real-time updates, follow Saws on X (@SAWeatherServic) and Facebook (South African Weather Service) or visit www.weathersa.co.za.

For USSD alerts, dial 1207297# for weather warnings.

Or download the WeatherSMART app for Apple and Android phones.

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