A SEVERE storm hit the Balfour area in Mpumalanga province on Thursday night, wrecking a farmer’s house and causing an estimated R1,5-million damage, police said on Friday. Raging winds tore off branches and uprooted several bluegum trees in a plantation in the area before wrecking the house of farmer Willem du Plessis, Sergeant Leonard Hlathi said. The roof was blown off and its contents were scattered, with some items blown about 800m away. Electricity, telephone cables and farm machinery were also damaged. Some of the farmer’s sheep and cattle were also injured. Du Plessis and his wife were treated for bruises and cuts at the local hospital. Evert Scholtz from the Weather Bureau said the tornado was part of a far bigger storm moving from the Vereeniging area south past Balfour.