South Africa and Mozambique have been battered by extreme rainfall that has left large areas inundated for several days. The region's north-eastern regions have seen record-breaking downpours, with some locations in South Africa recording hundreds of millimetres of rain over a 24-hour period.
The heavy rainfall has been driven by a slow-moving low-pressure system that has remained anchored over the region, causing moisture to be drawn in and triggering intense storms. This weather pattern is expected to continue, with further heavy rainfall forecast for Friday and into the weekend.
Maputo, Mozambique's capital, is bracing itself for daily rainfall totals exceeding 200mm by the end of Friday, while western parts of South Africa and north-western Eswatini can expect over 100mm. The region's already saturated ground has been overwhelmed, causing widespread flooding that has left roads washed away, infrastructure damaged, and large areas inaccessible.
The South African weather service has raised its flood warning to the highest level, with Kruger national park closed due to floodwaters forcing evacuations of staff and visitors. Authorities have also warned of displaced wildlife, including crocodiles and hippos, which have been sighted near homes.
Prolonged wet weather has disrupted harvesting and export operations in the region, threatening supply chains for crops such as mangoes and lemons. Emergency services have rescued residents trapped by rapidly rising rivers, highlighting the severity of the situation.
In contrast, North America has experienced record warmth in January, with temperatures 10-15 degrees warmer than usual across much of the US and eastern Canada. Temperatures were so anomalous that parts of Alberta, Canada, felt like late spring, with readings exceeding 15 degrees Celsius. However, an arctic plunge is expected to bring temperatures well below normal in the eastern half of North America over the coming days.
The heavy rainfall has been driven by a slow-moving low-pressure system that has remained anchored over the region, causing moisture to be drawn in and triggering intense storms. This weather pattern is expected to continue, with further heavy rainfall forecast for Friday and into the weekend.
Maputo, Mozambique's capital, is bracing itself for daily rainfall totals exceeding 200mm by the end of Friday, while western parts of South Africa and north-western Eswatini can expect over 100mm. The region's already saturated ground has been overwhelmed, causing widespread flooding that has left roads washed away, infrastructure damaged, and large areas inaccessible.
The South African weather service has raised its flood warning to the highest level, with Kruger national park closed due to floodwaters forcing evacuations of staff and visitors. Authorities have also warned of displaced wildlife, including crocodiles and hippos, which have been sighted near homes.
Prolonged wet weather has disrupted harvesting and export operations in the region, threatening supply chains for crops such as mangoes and lemons. Emergency services have rescued residents trapped by rapidly rising rivers, highlighting the severity of the situation.
In contrast, North America has experienced record warmth in January, with temperatures 10-15 degrees warmer than usual across much of the US and eastern Canada. Temperatures were so anomalous that parts of Alberta, Canada, felt like late spring, with readings exceeding 15 degrees Celsius. However, an arctic plunge is expected to bring temperatures well below normal in the eastern half of North America over the coming days.
! Like, hundreds of millimeters of rain over just one day?! That's just insane 
. And the worst part is, it's not even over yet, they're expecting more rain on Friday 
️. I hope everyone is safe and dry 
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. And can you believe they have crocodiles and hippos just chillin' near people's homes?! That's like, totally wild 
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. But yeah, it's not ideal for them either, especially when they're expecting an arctic cold snap soon 
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I mean, one day it's pouring buckets in South Africa and Mozambique, and the next, it's a heatwave in North America! It's like Mother Nature is just messing with us 
. And poor South Africa and Mozambique are dealing with all this flooding... my heart goes out to them 
. I don't know how they're going to get back on track with their harvesting and export ops 
. And let's not forget about those displaced wildlife – crocodiles and hippos wandering around homes? 
. And to think, it's not even over yet... the forecast is saying more heavy rain is on the way for Friday and weekend. Poor folks down there are going to be struggling big time.
. I mean, record warmth in January? That's just wild! I'm glad they're enjoying the good weather, but I bet they'll be shivering in a bit when that arctic cold hits 
.
I mean, who needs all this rain? It's not like we're living in some tropical paradise here. The flooding is causing so much damage and disruption to people's lives... it's just frustrating. And what's with the South African weather service raising the flood warning level? Can't they just give us some heads up when this system was going to affect us? I'm not looking forward to all this wet stuff either, especially with my car parked outside and water pooling everywhere 
. Can't help but wonder if this is all part of some bigger climate shift 
. I mean, what even is going on with the weather these days? One thing's for sure, I'm glad to be here on the Platform, where you can get the latest updates and stay connected with fellow users 
. We're more resilient than ever, and we'll get through this...whatever comes next 
. I wonder if they're prepared for those temperatures, though? 
Anyway, back to the news... this South Africa/Mozambique flooding is absolutely devastating 
️ The thought of displaced wildlife and people trapped by floodwaters is just heartbreaking 
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. I mean, can't they optimize their code for once? It's like they're intentionally trying to frustrate us! 
And don't even get me started on the lack of actual discussion threads... it's all just a bunch of unrelated comments strung together 
... It feels too convenient if you ask me. What's the real reason behind this sudden temperature swing? Are they trying to distract us from something else? 
I'm thinking some kind of hidden agenda here. Maybe it has nothing to do with climate change or whatever, maybe it's just a coincidence... but still, it's got me wondering 
it's just so sad. And can we talk about how crazy weather patterns are?! One day it's like a tropical paradise 
. I mean, North America is all warm & cozy right now 
. anyway, let's hope both regions can recover from this and get back to normal soon 
.
this weather is getting outta hand lol, i mean, hundreds of mm of rain in just 24 hours? that's wild 
. and poor kruger national park, it's like they're saying "peace out" to all the animals 
... can only imagine how crazy it must be to be stuck in those floodwaters 
. at least north america is getting a break from the rain 
And the worst part is, people are losing their homes and livelihoods because of it. The floods are so bad that they've even closed down Kruger national park 
and evacuations are happening everywhere. It's like, what even is going on?! 
getting ruined... supply chains are gonna be so messed up! 
anyway, at least North America is having a great January, warm temps everywhere 
but I guess that's not really the point here 
. It's crazy to think that even North America has its own weather extremes now.
. I mean, think about it - one region is getting slammed with rain, while another is dealing with record warmth and near-summer temps... it's like Mother Nature is playing a game of geo-political poker 
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. Is it climate change? Are we just not doing enough to mitigate its effects? These are questions we need to be having, folks 
. And let's not forget about the economic implications... disruptions to supply chains, lost productivity... it's a real concern for any country, especially in this time of global economic uncertainty 
.
. We need to be taking this seriously, folks! 
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Is it going to be a big problem for agriculture and stuff? Mangoes and lemons are like super important crops, I guess this is gonna hurt farmers