A powerful storm system has been battering parts of southern Africa, leading to widespread flooding and disruption. In north-eastern South Africa and neighbouring Mozambique, heavy rainfall over the past week has inundated large areas, forcing the closure of Kruger National Park and the evacuation of staff and visitors.
The deluge has been driven by a slow-moving cut-off low-pressure system that has repeatedly brought intense downpours to the region. Some areas have recorded hundreds of millimetres of rain, with Graskop in Mpumalanga receiving 113mm in just 24 hours and Phalaborwa recording around 85mm.
The heavy rainfall has fallen on already saturated ground, following an unusually wet December, leading to rivers overflowing their banks and causing widespread flooding. The South African Weather Service has raised its flood warning to the highest level, with roads washed away and infrastructure damaged.
Authorities have also reported sightings of displaced wildlife, including crocodiles and hippos, near residential areas. Emergency services have been busy rescuing residents trapped by the rapidly rising floodwaters.
The extreme weather is not only affecting southern Africa, but also parts of North America. January has seen a continuation of the record-breaking warm temperatures that characterised much of December. In some areas of the United States and eastern and western Canada, temperatures have been 10-15°C above average for this time of year, with parts of Alberta experiencing temperatures exceeding 15°C.
These unusually high temperatures are expected to persist across much of the western half of North America in the coming days, while an arctic blast is forecast to bring well-below-normal temperatures to the eastern half of the continent.
The extreme weather events in both southern Africa and North America serve as a stark reminder of the growing impact of climate change on global weather patterns. As the planet continues to warm, such extreme and disruptive weather episodes are likely to become more frequent and severe, posing significant challenges for communities and ecosystems around the world.
