Nelson Mandela Bay and surrounds report good rain over weekend

Weather stations across the Eastern Cape reported good rain over the weekend, with more showers expected in the next few days.

While the SA Weather Service is still warning of severe thunderstorms over the western half of the province, it is careful not to give “false hope” to those expecting huge inflows into Nelson Mandela Bay’s supply dams.

Over the past three days, official rain measuring stations across Gqeberha recorded totals ranging from 10mm to 25mm in places, while Addo measured more than 50mm on Sunday alone.

The most encouraging figures came from Joubertina and Kareedouw, two of the most important catchment areas, measuring 20mm and 15mm respectively over the past two days.

Weather service spokesperson Garth Sampson said catchment areas show promise of decent showers, but residents will have to wait to see how much reaches the dams in the days to come.

“Anything in the catchment at this stage will assist us getting closer to April, when new augmentation projects of the water supply come online,” Sampson said.

The latest dam levels show the metro’s main supply system totalling 14.82% of normal capacity.

Kouga stood at 11.46%, Churchill at 16.59%, Impofu at 16.06% and Groendal at 18.89%.

Meanwhile, reports of good rain have come in from the rural Eastern Cape, with farmers in the drought-stricken Karoo region receiving much-needed showers.

Some farms near Jansenville recorded about 40mm at the weekend, while nearby Klipplaat saw more than 20mm in places.

Some farmers near Steytlerville reported only 12mm, but said it was a welcome supplement to similar rains in the past few weeks.

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