Heavy rains are set to continue over Gauteng for the next two days, clearing up on Friday and continuing at the weekend, the South African Weather Service said on Tuesday.
”There will be showers over the weekend, and I can’t rule out the possibility of heavy rains,” said forecaster Evert Scholtz.
Scholtz said some parts of the country would also experience snow falls.
There had already been snowfalls over mountains in the Western Cape and Graaff Reinet.
”Later today [Tuesday], we will be expecting snowfalls in higher areas, such as the Karoo and Victoria West.”
He said that Gauteng would not experience strong winds, which had eased off by late afternoon on Monday.
”Gauteng will still experience overcast weather and there might be some humidity during the day.”
There was some heavy wind damage in Pretoria on Monday night, he said.
Meanwhile, panicked Gautengers on Monday closed up shop early and battened down the hatches in preparation for a tornado or hurricane that was rumoured to strike at 5pm on the day.
However, in an emphatic rebuttal of the hoax emails, SMSs and newspaper reports that had people spooked, the South African Weather Service said: ”There is neither a hurricane nor a tornado warning issued.”
”These rumours are wildly exaggerated,” said forecaster Mark Todd.
The South African Press Association’s switchboard was inundated with calls from people wanting to know if the tornado threats were true.
Radio stations resorted to broadcasting updates in an attempt to calm the public.
The first peals of thunder rumbled over Johannesburg at 4.20pm on Monday, but by then Corporate Relocations South Africa, in Bryanston, had sent home a number of employees reliant on public transport.
”Had we known that the tornado email was a hoax, then we would not have sent these employees home early,” said managing director Corallie Pringle.
At MultiChoice in Randburg some staff were sent home before 3pm to beat the feared storm, said an employee, who asked not to be named. — Sapa