Tornado alert in South Africa
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has advised that increased thunderstorms and heavy winds during the summer could lead to further tornado activity over the next few months.
Two tornadoes recently formed in Mpumalanga on New Year’s Day, one to the north-east of Middelburg and the other in an area near Carolina.
No fatalities were reported as a result of the devastating wind funnels, but trees were knocked over, telecommunications lines were broken, and farming activity was disrupted.
Two more tornadoes were recorded on video in farmlands near Heilbron in the Free State and Harrismith in KwaZulu-Natal in November 2025.
While much rarer than in countries like the US, tornadoes have killed or injured dozens of South Africans in the past 30 years.
The worst in terms of loss of life was an F4 category tornado in Mount Ayliff with wind speeds between 333km/h and 420km/h, which killed 25 people and injured 500 others on 18 January 1999.
More recently, an EF3 tornado with speeds between 218km/h and 266km/h in Tongaat in June 2024 killed 11 people and injured 120.
In a podcast published on 7 January 2026, the SAWS’ senior forecaster and tornado expert, Puseletso Mofokeng, explained that an average of three to four tornadoes were detected in South Africa annually.
In recent years, insurers have cautioned that climate change was making strong winds and wind funnels, including tornadoes, more common in South Africa.
Mofokeng acknowledged that occurrences may be underreported due to the short-lived nature of tornadoes in the country and the historical lack of high-frequency satellite data.
Newer technology, such as the 10-minute satellite updates implemented by Eumetsat in late 2024, is enhancing the ability to detect and study these events.
He explained that the peak period of tornado activity was typically in the mid-summer months from November to January.
Tornadoes are more likely to form in thunderstorm supercells, characterised by high levels of moisture and heat. The SAWS is expecting above-normal temperatures throughout the summer season.
Hotspot areas and protective measures
Mofokeng said that South Africa’s “real” tornadoes typically had speeds between 200km/h and 300km/h.
“Those which are beyond 300km/h to 500km/h have not been what we observe here in South Africa,” he said.
The Highveld and the escarpment have conditions favourable for forming tornadoes. “The reason is you would have the high topography or significantly high topography like mountains,” he said.
“It is the mountains that deviate one storm into the path of another, and once they connect, they then produce a tornado,” he said.
In addition to Mpumalanga and the Free State, the escarpment includes the interior of KwaZulu-Natal and the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape.
“These are the provinces that have a lot of tornadoes. There are some in the North West, but they are not as many.”
However, Mofokeng said that tornadoes were increasingly occurring closer to the coast and in the Lowveld.
Mofokeng advised South Africans confronted with a tornado to take shelter in a small room, like a bathroom, if a bunker or underground basement was not available.
Where not available, hiding inside a heavy wardrobe with its open doors against the ground or underneath a heavy bed could also provide protection.
For those who missed out on a storm warning, one sign to look out for is when two large cloud formations are moving towards each other.
“You need to make sure by all means that you are out of that spot because that’s where the wind is going to be very strong,” Mofokeng said.
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