Severe cold front bringing snow in South Africa causes fatal accident, power outages
JOHANNESBURG (REUTERS) A severe cold front sweeping across South Africa since the weekend brought heavy snowfall, which has led to road closures, power outages, and a fatal road accident, officials said.Five people were killed in a road accident along the N2 highway due to the adverse weather, Eastern Cape transport department spokesperson Unathi Binqose told local broadcaster Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday.The South African Weather Service warned citizens late last week that there would be a big drop in temperatures this week across the country, accompanied by disruptive rain, damaging winds, and snow over eastern areas.South Africa regularly receives snowfall during its winter months from June through August, with temperatures diving below zero degrees Celsius.Snow has been reported since Monday across provinces, including Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Free State, prompting closures along sections of the N2 highway that connects the provinces, according to the KwaZulu-Natal transport department.Power utility Eskom said in a post on X that it was "experiencing a high number of customer calls nationally, due to widespread power outages caused by inclement weather."More resources were being secured to ensure prompt resolution to the power outages, Eskom said.
The weather service forecast that the cold front would persist through midweek.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
6 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Switzerland's Axpo shuts down nuclear reactor due to heat
2 July 2025 12:49 BERLIN (REUTERS)Swiss power company Axpo shut down one of its reactor units at its Beznau plant on Tuesday due to high river water temperatures while it left a second reactor running but with reduced power, it said on Wednesday. "Current measures will remain in place for the time being," said the company in a statement.
Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
No relief as scorching temperatures grip Europe, putting regions on high alert
Forest fires fanned by high winds and hot, dry weather damaged some holiday homes in Turkey as a lingering heatwave that has cooked much of Europe led authorities to raise warnings and tourists to find ways to beat the heat on Monday. A heat dome hovered over an arc from France, Portugal and Spain to Turkey, while data from European forecasters suggested other countries were set to broil further in coming days. New highs are expected on Wednesday before rain is forecast to bring respite to some areas later this week. Women cool off in a public fountain during the first summer heatwave in Seville, Spain, on Monday. Reuters "Extreme heat is no longer a rare event — it has become the new normal,' tweeted U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres from Seville, Spain, where temperatures were expected to hit 42˚C on Monday afternoon. Reiterating his frequent calls for action to fight climate change, Guterres added: "The planet is getting hotter & more dangerous — no country is immune.' Beachgoers play in water on the shores of Lake Issyk Kul in Cholpon-Ata, some 250km from Bishkek. AFP In Portugal — his home country — one reading on Sunday turned up a suspected record-high June temperature of 46.6˚C in Mora, about 100 kilometres east of Lisbon. Weather officials were working to confirm whether that marked a new record. Portuguese authorities issued a red heat warning Monday for seven of 18 districts as temperatures were forecast to hit 43˚C . People visit the beach amid warm weather as temperatures continue to rise across the region, in Brighton, Britain. Reuters The first heatwave of the year has gripped Spain since the weekend and no relief is expected until Thursday, Spain's national weather service said Monday. The country appeared to hit a new high for June on Saturday when 46˚C was tallied in the southern province of Huelva. In France, which was almost entirely sweltering in the heatwave on Monday and where air conditioning remains relatively rare, local and national authorities were taking extra effort to care for homeless and elderly people and people working outside. Tourists stand in front of a cooling fan installed outside the Colosseum in during the heatwave in Rome. Reuters Some tourists were putting off plans for some rigorous outdoor activities. "We were going to do a bike tour today actually, but we decided because it was gonna be so warm not to do the bike tour," said Andrea Tyson, 46, who was visiting Paris from New Philadelphia, Ohio, on Sunday. Misting stations doused passers-by along the Seine in the French capital. A steward fans spectators sitting on Centre Court on day one of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, on Mondayd. AP France's first significant forest fires of the season consumed 400 hectares (988 acres) of woods Sunday and Monday in the Aude region in the south. Water-dumping planes and some 300 firefighters were mobilized, the regional emergency service said. Tourists were evacuated from one campground in the area. A helicopter sprays water to extinguish a fire in Seferihisar, near Izmir, Turkey, on Monday. AP In Turkey, forest fires fanned by strong winds damaged some holiday homes in Izmir's Doganbey region and forced the temporary closure of the airport in Izmir, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Authorities evacuated four villages as a precaution, the Forestry Ministry said. People cool off at a beach during a heatwave in Rabat. AFP In Italy, the Health Ministry put 21 cities under its level three "red' alert, which indicates "emergency conditions with possible negative effects' on healthy, active people as well as at-risk old people, children and chronically ill people. Regional governments in northwestern Liguria and southern Sicily in Italy put restrictions on outdoor work, such as construction and agricultural labor, during the peak heat hours. The mercury was rising farther north, too. Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus uses an ice pack to cool during her match against Carson Branstine of Canada at their first round women's single match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London. AP Britain's national weather service, the Met Office, said the Wimbledon Championships were facing what could be their hottest start on record — with temperatures of just under 30˚C recorded at the nearby Kew Gardens. Tennis enthusiasts fanned themselves or sought shade from the blazing sun as the first day of matches got underway at the All England Club on Monday. Tournament rules allow players to take a 10-minute break when the heat hits 30.1 degrees Celsius or more in mid-match. In southern Germany, temperatures of up to 35˚C were expected on Monday, and they were forecast to creep higher until midweek — going as high as 39˚C on Wednesday. Some German towns and regions imposed limits on how much water can be taken from rivers and lakes. Associated Press
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Gulf Today
Tennis fans sizzle as heatwave hits Wimbledon
Tennis devotees armed themselves with hats, sun cream, mini-fans and a sense of humour for the first day of Wimbledon Monday, as the tournament provisionally recorded its hottest ever opener. "If we sweat, we sweat — we know each other well," laughed Cathy Butcher, 73, arriving with her daughter Helen. The retiree said she had a "dodgy hip and my daughter is heavily pregnant" but that they would just focus on keeping cool and enjoying the day. "We're hoping for a cool breeze" and some "great tennis," added her 31-year old daughter. Spectators shelter from the sun on day one at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London. AP Meteorologists said a provisional 29.7˚C was recorded at nearby Kew Gardens in southwest London. The previous record for a Wimbledon opening day was set on June 25, 2001 when the mercury tipped 29.3˚C. Spectators wearing strawberry masks pose on the first day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. AFP Parts of the UK are currently in the grip of a second heatwave in a month, according to weather experts, with temperatures expected to climb further to 34C in London and southeast England on Monday. London start-up boss Sean Tipper said he'd made sure to come prepared after failing to heed warnings before. A spectator uses a handheld fan to cool her down during the first round match between Russia's Daniil Medvedev and France's Benjamin Bonzi. Reuters "Wimbledon when it's really hot is quite sweaty," he told AFP on a family day out with his wife, mother and aunt. The 31-year-old said they'd brought hats and sun glasses plus "a mini-fan and good hope." "Last time we were very hot so this time we've got rosé (wine) in a cooler so we can do a better job," he joked. A spectator wearing sunglasses looks on during the first day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. AFP As temperatures began to rise, tournament officials said they were "strongly" advising people without tickets not to travel to the grounds and join the queue. "In both the queue and the grounds there may be periods where shade is not available," a statement said. Cooling scarves The hottest June day ever recorded in the UK was 35.6˚C on June 28, 1976. But Wimbledon is more used to making headlines for the rain than the heat. Tournament chief executive Sally Bolton said they were "absolutely ready for it and actually delighted that it's sunny and not wet like it was last year." For Chilean tennis fan Maria Verdugo, 40, there are pros and cons to enjoying tennis in different weather conditions. "On balance, though, I prefer the sun, it's more exciting," she said, clutching a glass of Pimms with plenty of ice. "It's really sad when it rains because everything looks really dark and you have to take shelter," she said. Under a heat rule to protect players' health, officials will be taking heat stress monitor readings 30 minutes before the start of play and then at 1400 (1300 GMT) and 1700. The rule allows a 10-minute break to be taken at certain points in a match when the heat stress index is at or above 30.1˚C. Protocols are also in place to look after ball-boys and ball-girls on court who have access to cooling scarves. Some visitors admitted they were already beginning to wilt. "I need a long cold drink, preferably with gin in it, at least then I'd forget how uncomfortable I am," said youth worker Mel Megson as she took shelter under some shrubbery. "Some rain would be good — you'd find me dancing in it," she added. Agence France-Presse
