SEVERE WEATHER
Gauteng dams are worst hit as heatwave tightens its grip
A persistent heatwave over the interior has caused dam levels to drop, with Gauteng the worst affected, says the department of water and sanitation. SA’s summer rainfall areas have been experiencing high daytime temperatures ranging from 25°C to 33°C, while the wet season has not yet begun. The SA Weather Service has issued a severe weather warning for parts of North West and Gauteng where dry conditions and extreme heat are combining to pose a fire hazard. The Vaal Dam, from which Rand Water abstracts most of the raw water it purifies for the country’s industrial heartland, is relatively shallow, raising its evaporation rate. The dam’s level dropped to 88.7% on Wednesday from 90.7% a week earlier, the department says. The weather service expects the hot and dry conditions in the country’s interior to continue. In the Western Cape, where a three-year drought has necessitated severe water restrictions, winter rains have brought considerable relief and dam levels have increased by 3%,...
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