While most South Africans were hoping to welcome the arrival of summer, disastrous weather conditions have beset numerous parts of the country, leading to the destruction of property and loss of life.

KwaZulu-Natal has been the site of particularly fierce storms, following Tuesday’s tornado in the midlands and torrents of rain flooding parts of Durban. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned that today’s rainfall – which is expected to exceed 100mm in some part of Durban – is likely to displace communities.

In the same vein in Gauteng, severe thunderstorms have impacted Eskom’s already-meagre operational performance, leading to rolling blackouts in parts of Centurion.

While the rainfall comes at a time of a looming national water crisis, the government has deployed task teams to affected provinces to assist with clean-up procedures.

Motorists in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo have been urged to travel with caution.