The Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi, and the South African Weather Service will on 8 March 2012 embark on a weather awareness to the communities in Mount Frere (Eastern Cape).
During 2011, Mount Frere battled with severe weather phenomena which included lightning deaths, damaging hail and flooding. Since the beginning of this year, South Africa has also experienced wide flooding from the severe tropical low pressure systems when Tropical Cyclone Dando affected the north eastern parts of the country, as well as the most recent flooding and damage brought about by Severe Tropical Storm Irina, mostly in KwaZulu-Natal.
During the recent Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban, experts again confirmed their predictions that extreme weather events are expected to continue to increase with time. We therefore need to be able to adapt where these weather hazards are experienced.
Over the past years, South Africa has experienced an increase in severe weather which caused damage to property and infrastructure as well as several incidences of loss of life. The climate records of the South African Weather Service show a growing trend in extreme weather events.
Disaster preparedness is important in the case of severe weather events, therefore, the South African Weather Service, in cooperation with disaster management, Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, municipalities and other role players are reaching out to affected communities through a public awareness drive that will educate the public and empower them with the ability to act.
Since Government has elevated and prioritised warnings around weather related hazards, the South African Weather Service has reviewed its early warning system formally known as Severe Weather Warning System in collaboration with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. Several steps were taken to put infrastructure in place to ensure better disaster preparedness. However, early warning systems are only effective when all role players are integrated. The purpose of this community outreach event will therefore be not only to educate the community in general, but also to engage the relevant structures in ensuring a more effective severe weather information dissemination and also to plan better for disasters.
The aim of this initiative is to develop a “weather ready” nation that knows what to do and that responds appropriately to severe weather warnings.
Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi fully supports this initiative and will act as keynote speaker on 8 March 2012 at Mount Frere. The event will take place at the Mount Frere Town Hall from 10h00 to 13h00.
Enquiries:
Peter Mbelengwa
Tel: 012 336 7902
Cell: 082 611 8197
E-mail: mbelengwap@dwa.gov.za
Kenosi Machepa
Tel: 012 367 6075
Cell: 083 259 7223
E-mail: kenosi.machepa@weathersa.co.za
Technical enquiries:
Mnikeli Ndabambi
Tel: 012 367 6000
E-mail: mnikeli.ndabambi@weathersa.co.za
Weather awareness outreach to communities
