US EditionSouth Africa declares a national disaster over flooding and severe weather
At least 30 deaths and over 1,600 homes destroyed in Limpopo and Mpumalanga floods, with Kruger National Park partially closed and 600 tourists evacuated, officials said.
- On Sunday, Ellas Sithole, head of the National Disaster Management Centre, declared a national disaster after floods killed at least 30 people and damaged thousands of homes in South Africa.
- Persistent La Niña and a quasi-stationary low-pressure system in early January intensified the Intertropical Convergence Zone, producing multi-day convective storms and heavy rains after late December 2025.
- The South African Weather Service recorded localized rainfall totals approaching 400 mm and issued a Level 10 red alert over Limpopo and Mpumalanga, while Kruger National Park closed visitor gates and about 600 tourists and staff were evacuated to higher ground.
- INGD and the World Food Programme report more than 200 000 people affected, tens of thousands relocated, and about 70 000 ha of cropland destroyed as of January 17, 2026.
- National emergency services warn river levels remain critically high and further rainfall could extend the crisis through February, while hydrological gauges along the Limpopo and Save rivers show persistently high flows.
124 Articles
124 Articles
South Africa declares national disaster due to flooding
The National Disaster Center released a statement that the greatest impacts were recorded in the northern provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, where the deaths occurred in recent hours. Torrential downpours in the north of this country, besides causing missing persons, the destruction of roads and bridges, caused the closure of the Kruger Park and the evacuation from that area of hundreds of tourists, reported television media. After visiting ar…
South Africa declares national disaster as floods kill dozens
South Africa on Sunday declared a national disaster after weeks of relentless rain and flooding killed dozens of people, destroyed homes and forced thousands to flee, including many who crossed into neighbouring Mozambique in search of safety. More than 200 people were killed in Southern Africa.
Severe floods kill 37 across Limpopo and Mpumalanga, national disaster declared – The Mail & Guardian
The government has declared the severe flooding and extreme weather across several provinces, which has killed 37 people to date, a national disaster under the Disaster Management Act. The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, welcomed the move initiated by the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) after consultation with provincial disaster centres and the national joint flood coordinating committ…
Flooding forces evacuations at Kruger National Park as extreme weather batters Southern Africa
Severe flooding has forced the evacuation of around 600 tourists and staff from South Africa’s iconic Kruger National Park, after torrential rains submerged roads and camps across the vast wildlife reserve.
In South Africa, the national disaster has been declared after cloudfalls and floods in the north of the country.
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