Programme Director,
Northern Cape MEC for Environment and Nature Conservation: Me Sylvia Lucas,
Executive Mayor of Siyanda District Municipality: Cllr Gift van Staden,
Councillors,
CEO of the South African Weather Service: Dr Makuleni,
Representatives from Disaster Management,
South African Weather Service Top Management and Staff,
Senior government officials,
Members of the community,
Members of the media.
Ladies and gentlemen
I am delighted and equally glorified by the hospitality extended to us by the leadership and the community of the Northern Cape.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and the South African Weather Service are currently embarking on the Weather Awareness road show across the country which coincides with the theme for World Meteorological Day, hence it is deemed necessary to commemorate the World Meteorological Day concomitantly with the Weather Awareness Road Show prior to the official date of the 23 March.
Each year, on 23 March, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) - a United Nations body consisting of 189 members – and the worldwide meteorological community celebrate World Meteorological Day around a chosen theme. This day commemorates the entry into force of the WMO Convention creating the WMO in 1950.
The theme for World Meteorological Day 2013 is “Watching the Weather to Protect Life and Property”, with the subtheme: “Celebrating 50 Years of World Weather Watch”.
We have chosen to celebrate World Meteorological Day with the people of Northern Cape with the hope and aim of reigniting their weather knowledge and caution them not to relax and be caught flat footed. Climate change is a reality and everyone needs to be weather-ready. Read, enquire and ask as many questions around the weather as possible.
We have a South African Weather Service office at the airport and you need to utilise it as much as possible. I know the airport might be inaccessible to many but the office can always come to you when requested to do so. Don’t wait for them to come, demand that they come to your community meetings, school gatherings, career days and the like and engage them as much as you can. Government has created these offices for your service.
As we celebrate World Meteorological Day today, let everyone of us make a vow that we going to take information learnt to your communities, councillors and council meetings, school governing bodies, churches and all other formations in helping to create and sustain a weather-ready nation. Weather affects all of us and it is therefore everyone’s responsibility to teach the other.
The Northern Cape Province does not frequently experience severe weather, but is prone to extreme conditions. Summers are extremely hot and dry, while winters can be exceptionally cold. Although this area receives low rainfall, it is often affected by downstream flooding by the Orange River, as upstream heavy rain often causes local flooding in agricultural areas adjacent to the Orange River, leading to property damage and personal distress.
To this end, the Northern Cape Province experienced tragic and disastrous severe weather events between 1991 and 2011. Not suggesting that what happened prior to that was not of significance.
South African Weather Service databank show that since 1991, hailstorms occurred at Calvinia and at Klawer and the most serious damage was experienced at the Blouputs irrigation scheme, to the south of the Augrabies Falls, when 139 ha of sweet melon, tomatoes and mangoes to the value of R7 million were destroyed.
The year, 1992 saw Lowveld farmers submitting claims totalling to more than R8m after their tobacco crops were destroyed by hailstorms over the weekend of 14-15 November. Newspapers reported then that hailstorms also caused damage in the Vaalharts area where damage to wheat came to approximately R3,5m; in the Langkloof area three apple farmers suffered damage to the amount of R750 000 and in the vicinity of Douglas damage to grapes, wheat and vegetables amounted to about R800 000.
From 1994 to 2002 the Northern Cape areas experienced heavy rains, floods, thunderstoms and again hail where in Lutzputs, near Upington, twenty trucks of goods train were derailed, roads damaged, forty six goats drowned at Postmasburg, when flood water roamed the place along the Groenwater valley in Gatkoppies.
In 2000 extensive damage occurred at Keimoes and Lennertsville, about 2 km outside Keimoes, following the devastating heavy rains which flooded the grave yards. About twenty graves at the Lennertsville cemetery were washed open. Some bones were found about 200m away from the graves. The damage caused to Steytlerville farming communities on infrastructure was estimated at thousand of Rands.
In 2003 Black frost caused extensive damage to the sultana-raisin crop in the Orange River area. Most of the damage occurred from Keimoes down eastwards to Groblershoop and Boegoeberg. According to estimates the loss could be as much as 25-30% of the expected 45 000 ton crop.
In the beginning of 2011 two people went missing and 400 people on 21 islands were evacuated after the Orange River flooded between Upington and Kakamas due to heavy rains and flash floods. The people were moved to higher ground and places of safety while at Keimoes people were given food and shelter. At least 65 people were accommodated at the Roman Catholic hall at Kanon Island while 100 people from Pokkies Island near Upington were helped with food and shelter.
Still in 2011, a young woman drowned and at least 9 people were rescued from tree and roof tops in Postmasburg after about 200 mm of heavy rains fell in that area. Houses along the swamp area in Postmasburg were flooded and the bridge to Kimberley was closed for several hours.
We need to be cognisant of the fact that Orange River can flood not only due to local rain but that which fell in Gauteng, Lesotho, Free State and also due to water from the Vaal Dam in the southern Gauteng.
Programme Director, I am citing all of these severe weather events of the Northern Cape, particularly Upington and areas nearby, to draw to the attention of all to the changes in weather and how important it is to empower oneself with weather information in order to be able to act proactively all the time.
Over the past years, South Africa has experienced an increase in severe weather such as flooding, lighting, thunder storms, tornadoes and in some areas excessive unbearable heat.
Somebody seating there may ask, what are these weather phenomena? Let me just explain a few as all of them are fully explained in the weather brochures you will receive today:
High discomfort and heat waves
Discomfort Index: When temperature and humidity are high at the same time, humans’ ability to cool their bodies through sweating is reduced. This can be a real threat.
The temperature in a motor-car can be more than 10 degrees higher than outside. Do not leave pets or children in motor-cars, especially in hot conditions.
Conditions favourable for the spread of run-away fires
Whenever there are prolonged periods of little and no rain coupled with warm dry winds, veldt fires can easily be sparked and will spread rapidly.
Winds are the fuel for veldt fires. When a warning is issued by the South African Weather Service, it is illegal to make outdoor fires.
Kindly adhere to the following precautions:
- Stay indoors in a cool room near a fan if possible;
- The old and infirm must take extra care;
- Listen to the radio or TV for warnings;
- Cease strenuous outdoor activity if advised;
- Dress in light weight clothes;
- Drink plenty of liquids, but NOT alcohol, as alcohol further dehydrates the body;
- Don’t make fires in the open;
- Don’t throw cigarette butts out of cars or in open veldt;
- Don’t throw bottles in the veldt as they can start fires;
- Report any fires immediately;
I also want to appeal to all present here today to spread the word that lightning is dangerous and that one must take proper precautions.
We cannot prevent hazardous weather from happening, but we can take steps to prevent them from becoming disasters, or at least lessen the impact of these disasters. Members of the public need to take note of the daily weather forecasts and take steps for their safety when severe weather approaches. Please make sure you have taken a weather awareness brochure with you as you leave this hall today and go share with your neighbours.
For South Africans to be safeguarded against weather hazards, the South African Weather Service cooperates at many levels on an international as well as national scale.
It monitors the weather 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provides information about forecasts, discomfort indexes, possibilities of drought and flooding, climate information and much more, to the media, public and disaster management centres via an advanced technological network. One of our most important partners in mitigating weather disasters is the local Disaster Management structure.
Different structures at municipal level are responsible to receive warnings of expected severe weather and warn communities in advance.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and the South African Weather Service are committed to reducing the impact of these disasters by investing in the latest and most technologically advanced equipment that aids us in the monitoring and prediction of weather patterns and the collection of related climatic data.
The South African Weather Service has implemented an enhanced national weather observation network, which has resulted in a synthesis of more accurate weather and climate information, helping us to provide early warning systems to the Republic of South Africa.
Let me end by commending the South African Weather Service, municipalities, provincial and local disaster management structures, and community leaders for their commitment and dedication shown towards this initiative that seeks to raise awareness on severe weather patterns and I hope that the community members will become empowered in terms of weather awareness today.
In our midst here today we have our weather ambassador Mr Paul Monare, the weatherman from SABC 2 Morning Live. Please come join me on the podium.
I thank you!
