Social media has been awash with videos of a hailstorm in Gauteng and a Mpumalanga tornado that caused damage
South African Weather Service (SAWS) shared their official statement with ClickHub amidst TikTok users’ conspiracy theories that the thunderstorms in South Africa were supernatural
What caused Gauteng and Mpumalanga extreme storms?
SAWS’s media officer, Hanelee Doubell, sent their official statement with ClickHub. On behalf of SAWS, Lehlohonolo Thbela compiled a report about what caused the storms in Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
SAWS concluded that the interaction of low and high pressure in the country’s interior caused thunderstorms. In Southwest Mpumalanga between Standerton and Bethal, the storm escalated into a Tornado in the Lekwa Local Municipality.
Tornado hits Bethal Mpumalanga
According to SAWS, the tornado damaged the necessary electricity structure in the Mpumalanga area. They detailed the damage the Tornado caused:
“The impact in Mpumalanga included that of electrical infrastructure, where a
substation was affected, as well as uprooted trees which fell onto power lines and fences in the Lekwa local municipality.”
@newsnexussa posted a TikTok video of the Tornado moving across a field. Watch Mother Nature in action below:
Can South Africa expect more extreme weather?
SAWS explained that there are no more extreme weather conditions expected over the next few days. The national weather forecaster said:
“Very hot conditions expected to be over the south-western areas of the country. Isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers/thunderstorms will be confined to the central and
eastern parts with no severe weather warnings issued yet.”
South Africa is in El Niño season, but global forecasts are uncertain if dry conditions typical in El Niño season will stay consistent. SAWS explained what the weather has in store for South Africa:
“Weather extremes will continue to occur from time to time during the summer season, even though drier conditions are expected. Caution is advised at this point as the El Niño effect might still manifest its influence in the next few months and change the outlook of the rainfall forecast for mid- and late-summer. “
SA panics over Mpumalanga tornado Bethal
SA netizens were speculating about the origins of the extreme weather before SAWS’ explanation. Tweeps referred to the Tornado as Bethal on X (Twitter). Some people wondered if there was a warning, and SAWS’s statement highlights that the forecast was detected on 13 November 2023 at 4:33 pm and issued to the public.
Check out netizens comments on the tornado on TikTok:
