Roy Reed Photography
Snow falling in the Vulindlela district, 20km from Howick, had dozens of children heading out to play in the cold. Torn trousers and even the absence of shoes and warm headgear did not stop these four from enjoying the snow. Picture: Roy Reed Photography
KwaZulu-Natal was on red alert yesterday as snow and icy temperatures gripped the province, shutting down more than 370 schools and closing major roads.
South Africans woke up to sub-zero temperatures and snow as a freezing front moved over large parts of the country.
All provincial departments were ordered to remain on standby as cold, wet weather swept through the province, according to MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nomusa Dube.
Education Department spokesman Sihle Mlotshwa said the schools affected by the icy weather were in the uMgungundlovu, Sisonke and uThukela districts.
Rescue and disaster personnel were sent to various parts of the province, particularly where heavy snow had fallen.
The N3 was impassable, and about 200 trucks were backed up at the Tugela toll plaza. Cars were diverted towards Newcastle, while graders were moved in to clear the roads of snowdrifts.
Road Traffic Inspectorate spokeswoman Zinhle Mngomezulu said there were major road closures across the province.
“Van Reenen’s Pass was closed from 9am to 11.45am and traffic diverted to the Bergville interchange on to the R103,” she said.
But soon after the pass was reopened, it started snowing and raining again, prompting officials to close it once more.
Rob Byrne, of Traffic SA, wrote on Twitter: “N3 Van Reenen’s Pass (update), road unlikely to open tonight – postpone travel until tomorrow.”
He also tweeted that the N2 between Kokstad and Mount Ayliff had been closed because of snowfalls.
The R617 to Swartberg near |Underberg was closed from 9.50am.
“The best advice for motorists is to avoid travel until the weather conditions clear up,” Byrne advised.
Earlier, other roads in the province were reopened.
The wet weather led to numerous accidents, and several injuries were reported, Dube, said.
Netcare911 spokesman Chris Botha said a man was seriously injured when he slipped in the snow and fell from a silo on a farm near Nottingham Road at about 8am.
Durban forecaster Wiseman Dlamini said that snow, cold temperatures and rainfall would continue today.
Temperatures would be “fairly low, but will increase slightly” tomorrow, he said.
He warned that another cold front would pass over the province on Sunday.
Winds of up to 40km/h are expected in Durban today, with waves of 3.5m.
The Weather Service tweeted that “it was probably the first time ever that all nine provinces experienced snow in one day”.
In Joburg, streets and parks were dressed in a white blanket. The last time Joburg had substantial snowfall was in June 2007.
In the Western Cape, the major mountain ranges were all snow-capped, with the Swartberg in the Karoo resembling a picture postcard. Temperatures in towns like Barrydale, Oudtshoorn and Beaufort West were very low.
In Sutherland, the coldest town in SA, the minimum temperature was 2ºC, but was expected to drop to -3ºC early next week.
Eskom warned that the capacity of the power system across the country was expected to be “tight” and consumers needed to lower their consumption.
Cold weather was expected to increase demand, particularly from 5pm to 7pm, it said.
Heavy snowfalls caused the closure of several border posts between SA and Lesotho, the National Border Operational Committee said yesterday.
These borders were in the Free State and the Eastern Cape, said spokesman William Mpye.
“The Qacha’s Nek and Caledonspoort border posts were closed. Both posts will remain closed until further notice,” he said.
The situation at the Monantsha Pass post was classified as dangerous, and travellers were advised not to use the crossing. Mpye said the Telle Bridge, Ongeluksnek and Ramatseliso posts remained open, but were inaccessible to heavy vehicles.
