Extreme Weather KZN's deadly history of floods NOTABLE FLOODS i Severe tropical storm /ey- Rain/floods | Rain/foods Rain/floods clone Domoina wrought Death toll 330 | Death toll 8s Deathtoll-395 (asat havoc from Mozambique to Peoplelefthomeless: | Costofrepairs: _Aprii15) Swaziland with winds up to 50,000 ‘over ROSEm People left homeless: 100km/h Costofrepairs:over | Rainfall: 40,728 (asat April 14) Death toll: 60 600m | 198mm Cost of pars: 2757: Cost of tepairs:over R100m Rainfall 600mmover_ | Areas most (asat Apnlt2) Rainfall:950 mm fourdays | affected: Rainfall-exceeded 300mm ‘Areas most affected: Areasmostaffected: | Dutban,Ballto, Areas most affected: King Shaka International Richards Bay,Sodwanaand —Tugela. Pietermaritzburg, | Jozini A\tport, Mount Edgecombe Virginiaairport (Durban Durban Durban ! Notth) as wellas Margate and Port Edward va A RAINFALLAPRIL8-11 ¢ es Weaties Service this Roaraenie week said the foding across KZN and some parts ofthe Eastem Cape had been causedby acut-off low (COL) pressure system. WHATIS ACOL SYSTEM AND HOW DOES IT occur? Fiee state Powerfulwinds of ajet stream relatively narrow bands of strong windin the upperlevelsofthe atmosphere - are responsi- ble for pushing weather patterns around the werd ‘Typically they move from west to east ina steady fashion. Every sooften alow pressure system, or storm, val get pinched off fromthe jet stroam and become stalled, This is where aCOLs gets its name. COLsoccur between 20° Rainfall(mm) andS?south and north ots They aremostfrequent during the autumn season in 5-10 PE PEry ee SA wnthhighescfequeney TeThokwini 395 25-50 The southern hemisphere 2Ugué 50-100 —_gersabout 40 COL a year 3uMzinyathi2 Enaten 100-150 Gneoutof every 10 preduce King Cetshwayo4 | @ 150-200 severe conditions andlead Sllembe 28 @ 200-400 _toflash floods. gem King Shaka International Airport | @M™y Margate | @My Mount Edgecombe Port Edward | My Virginia Aiport Oa ee ee Acer Ce Eee ‘Graphic: Nolo Moima Source. SAWS and European Organisation for the Exploltation of Meteorological Satalites