Severe storms
Typhoon kills 9 in Japan, boats move tourists from flooded airport
About 3,000 tourists stayed overnight at Kansai airport in the heavily populated south-central area of Japan’s main island, Honshu.
As part of a winter readiness plan, city officials will prioritise informal settlements and houses built on and around mountain slopes or in areas prone to flooding.
More rain has also been forecast for Gauteng after nearly two weeks of downpours.
Strong gusty winds, as well as heavy downpours, may hit these areas and could result in instances of urban flooding.
Monday’s storm brought with it strong winds and hail and left a trail of destruction with nearly 300 shacks completely blown away.
The Weather Service gave a briefing on Thursday in Pretoria on how it dealt with this week’s storms and how it plans to improve its systems.
There are calls for the construction sector to review methods and material used to build schools and hospitals to make sure they can withstand strong winds floods and even tornados.
The Disaster Management Centre remains on high alert and continues with clearing the rubble and municipal repairs on the damage.
The storm left a trail of destruction in parts of the City of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and the West Rand.
Peter Xhali has described a heroic scene of how he sustained a cut to his head and arm when struck by hail and still managed to save his seven-year-old child.
The Gauteng Disaster Management Centre says there isn’t enough land in the province to relocate those living in low-lying areas, making families vulnerable to heavy rains.
The South African Weather Service says from around lunch time residents can expect heavy rain, damaging winds and hail.
Joburg Emergency Services’ Robert Mulaudzi has urged residents to brace for possible flooding.
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal declared an emergency for seven counties in the south-central part of the state.