South Africa's Cold Front Chaos: Snow Brings Havoc to Highways and Homes

A harsh cold front sweeping across South Africa since the weekend has wreaked havoc with heavy snowfall, leading to road closures and power outages. An unfortunate outcome of the adverse weather was a fatal road accident, claiming five lives, according to Eastern Cape transport department spokesperson Unathi Binqose to Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday.

The South African Weather Service had previously warned of a significant temperature drop, predicting rain, strong winds, and snow particularly in the eastern regions. Snowfall was recorded from Monday in areas including Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Free State, leading to closures of sections on the N2 highway, as confirmed by the KwaZulu-Natal transport department.

Power utility Eskom reported encountering widespread outages due to the inclement weather and is working to secure more resources to address the issue swiftly. The cold front is expected to persist through midweek, creating ongoing challenges for citizens and authorities.

(With inputs from agencies.)