The Tornadoes, Cyclones, Hurricanes & Typhoons Thread.

It is always hard to verify these tornado reports, but the latest news update seems to indicate that it was genuine: https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/...-weather-service-hesitant-to-confirm-20191112
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal has activated councillors and volunteers to assist affected communities after a tornado hit New Hanover, Pietermaritzburg, on Tuesday afternoon.

The tornado, according to the department, "ripped through the area, injuring scores of people and damaging homes and public infrastructure".

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Sipho Hlomuka said preliminary reports received by the department indicated a number of people, who had sustained injuries, were currently receiving medical treatment at surrounding hospitals.

"A number of homes have collapsed, countless trees have been uprooted and the electricity supply in the area has been interrupted. Our teams are working hard to provide support to the affected communities."There are fears of possible missing people and deaths.
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Let us all hope that the affected areas get the support they deserve from govt.
Also, those who every season, try to deny that SA does get severe storms like this, will stop with their nonsense.
 
Apparently that tornado came down by Kilburn Dam which is that first small dam you see from Oliviershook pass lookout.

Being forwarded pics of tennis ball size hailstones from that storm as well. Can't confim if legit though.
 
The weather gurus in the country have just had a lesson in reading the weather info. This weather pattern was/is being caused by a cut off low. If this low had followed a more "normal" path across the country, we would have seen plenty of rain in the Karoo, plus flooding.
Pity SAWS sees fit to not show these things more clearly on their Synoptic charts. --------
 
Geoff.D said:
The weather gurus in the country have just had a lesson in reading the weather info. This weather pattern was/is being caused by a cut off low. If this low had followed a more "normal" path across the country, we would have seen plenty of rain in the Karoo, plus flooding.
Pity SAWS sees fit to not show these things more clearly on their Synoptic charts. --------
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True, although there are limitations:
1. By definition, synoptic charts only show the surface conditions, and cutoff-lows are complex 3D evolving systems (even I can't get my head around them sometimes).
2. Since it is hard to make detailed short-term predictions, the forecasts revert to generic 30% probability, blah-blah, etc...
3. The SAWS has shown no inclination to present real-time charts or animations, other than the generic warnings...
 
LImited satellite image animations is about it.
The generic synoptic chart is the marine one. the Aviation synoptic is better at showing what is happening over land. The other day the aviation synoptic reflected a cold front in blue which was really very informative. Wish they would do it more often. The aviation synoptic did show this cut off low which means it did extend to the surface I assume and it moved very slowly and quite erratically.
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so like 4 tornados in a month? when i see a tornado in sa i wonder about a tornado going through a township, corrugated sheeting spinning around like a giant minora blade blender. hectic. has a tornado gone through a township or informal settlement etc. here thats mostly sheet metal?
 
access said:
so like 4 tornados in a month? when i see a tornado in sa i wonder about a tornado going through a township, corrugated sheeting spinning around like a giant minora blade blender. hectic. has a tornado gone through a township or informal settlement etc. here thats mostly sheet metal?
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The point to remember is that calling something a tornado does not give any clarity as to its size, duration, and intensity, and the proximity to vulnerable structures on the ground.

Its like defining a motor vehicle, aircraft, or ship. They come in all shapes and sizes.

The difference between the lowest category of tornado, and the ones in the movies, can range a thousand-fold in terms of destructiveness. Similarly the quality of housing varies across a large scale.

In the absence of detailed reports, the number of 4 in a month is probably just random news.
 
It also doesn't help that many people have no idea what they're seeing and call it stuff like this:

 
Gordon_R said:
The point to remember is that calling something a tornado does not give any clarity as to its size, duration, and intensity, and the proximity to vulnerable structures on the ground.

Its like defining a motor vehicle, aircraft, or ship. They come in all shapes and sizes.

The difference between the lowest category of tornado, and the ones in the movies, can range a thousand-fold in terms of destructiveness. Similarly the quality of housing varies across a large scale.

In the absence of detailed reports, the number of 4 in a month is probably just random news.
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well i saw 2 on video, another was a mistaken cloud formation. didnt look into it really. still the idea of tornadoes in south africa seems hectic to me... too many cheesy movies... lol
 
Tornado in the Eastern Cape leaves 8 families homeless

A tornado ripped through the Raymond Mhlaba local municipality on Friday night, affecting 13 villages near Alice and Fort Beaufort, authorities have said.

The resulting damage has left eight families displaced, Amathole District Municipality spokesperson Nonceba Madikizela-Vuso confirmed.

Msobomvu, Bergplaas, Magaleni, Bienfield, Hopefield, Khayalethu, Mazotshweni, Hala and Krwakrwa – all near Alice, and Mlalandle, Magaleni and Mabeleni near Fort Beaufort were affected. .
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More at : https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/...tern-cape-leaves-8-families-homeless-20191130
 
More on the way! One Intense Tropical Cyclone (Ambali) formed literally out of nothing in a few hours on the 3rd December.

Exceptionally warm sea surface temperatures and low wind shear lead to the explosive intensification of Ambali, with the eye raising to 2.9 degrees Celsius - a 20 degree [something wrong here with the numbers] change in under 10 minutes.
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A second one still classified as a moderate tropical storm (Belna) formed on the 2nd and is intensifying slower than Ambali.

Watch this space! I checked on the 1st and only again today only to see that I missed them!.
en.wikipedia.org

2019–20 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
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