Four people have died in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal region as a result of heavy rain and a tornado, authorities said on Thursday.
Winds and rain damaged roads and flooded houses and sewer systems, followed by a tornado that slammed north of Durban on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, four people have been confirmed to have died,” the province’s emergency management service said in a statement.
It stated three people died in Durban and a fourth in broader KwaZulu-Natal, and that a fifth person was missing and that more than 150 people were homeless.
The rainy season in KwaZulu-Natal normally lasts from November to March, and excessive rainfall at this time of year is unusual, according to the report.
“We are experiencing firsthand the true effects of climate change during the winter season,” the department said.
The province was hit by the worst floods in living memory in April 2022, killing over 400 people in Durban and nearby regions.
Floods and other extreme weather events, according to experts, are getting more powerful and frequent as the world gets warmer.
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