Disaster management experts at South Africa’s Kruger National Park are on high alert ahead of Tropical Storm Eloise’s landfall which is expected to hit the northern parts of the park in Limpopo Province this weekend, an official said on Saturday.
South African National Parks (SANParks) spokesperson Isaac Phaahla said SANParks scientists are in contact with the South African Weather Service (SAWS) and are closely monitoring Eloise at the same time in order to advise the park’s ground officials on how best to handle the storm’s potential damage to life and property.
He added that visitors with confirmed bookings at camps that are likely to be affected by the storm would be accommodated at alternative camps.
The official urged everyone visiting the Kruger National Park this weekend to be extra careful by staying close to their camping facilities until the storm has subsided.
Phaahla’s warning followed SAWS’ advisory for South Africans to be alert for any disruptive rains over Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces from 23-25 January.
Eloise became a tropical storm on Friday evening with winds of 120 km per hour, and was expected to land near the Mozambican port of Beira on Saturday morning, bringing more heavy rains over an already flooded Indian Ocean coastline, SAWS said.
According to the SAWS, accumulated rainfall so far showed that totals of between 100 millimetres and 200mm were possible in parts of Mozambique, southern Zimbabwe and north-eastern South Africa through the weekend into Monday.
NM/jn/APA