South Africa: Govt Declares Severe Storms a National Disaster - South African News Briefs - May 11, 2026
Officials said at least 4 people died and more than 2,000 were displaced as flooding, wind damage and landslides hit several provinces.
- South Africa declared a national disaster on Monday following severe storms and flooding that killed at least 10 people across six provinces, marking the fifth declaration since November 2025.
- Severe storms between May 4 and May 11 caused widespread disruption, with cumulative rainfall reaching 301.2 mm in Joubertina and the weather system damaging over 10,000 structures and displacing more than 2,000 people.
- A frontal system impacted the Western Cape on May 11, resulting in 3 fatalities and province-wide school closures; Cape Town emergency services reported roofs blown off in Mitchells Plain, Hanover Park, and Wynberg.
- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed "deep sadness" regarding the loss of life, emphasizing that authorities are utilizing science to pre-empt events and respond to the aftermath.
- Experts note that flooding is intensifying across Southern Africa due to extreme weather patterns, a trend following national disaster declarations for drought and foot-and-mouth disease earlier this year.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Cape storms rival Durban floods as national disaster declared
The latest storms are not just normal winter rain, but rather a rare and intense phenomenon, with some meteorologists comparing it to the scale of the Durban floods of April 2022, say weather experts. Vox weather meteorologist Annette Botha said the weather being declared a national disaster shows how serious the situation has become. Cape storms ‘rare and intense’ “A lot of people are asking how this compares to past events and, honestly, what …
Heavy rains and gale-force winds caused widespread damage, with the government declaring a state of national disaster.
South Africa Suffering with Severe Weather Conditions
South Africa has officially classified the severe weather battering several provinces as a national disaster after receiving days of flooding, heavy rainfall, infrastructure damage and widespread disruption. The declaration applies to parts of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, North-West and Mpumalanga, where emergency teams have been responding continuously to road collapses, power outages and communities being cut off …
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