Winter’s storms have been bashing our region at a devastating rate of almost one a week.
Deluges, floods, sea surges, gales more than 100km/h — in three weeks, the southern region of SA has been battered by two cut-off mid-latitude cyclones, and a three-stack of Antarctic storms.
Warnings delivered with a refreshing sense of urgency by the SA Weather Service (SAWS), and amplified by this publication, were followed by days of climate fury.
The public in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape are in a state of dismay and reflection.
When the gusts blast, the deluge unleashes, the stream morphs into a muddy torrent, submerging crossings, zinc sheets rip through the air like scimitar blades, there is a distinct sense that communities are alone.
Help is not coming.
The problem is a distinct lack of demonstrable government urgency.
SAWS warnings that flash with yellow and orange are still narrowly circulated such as within a self-delusional government Facebook echo chamber.
The public is not being actively engaged on the ground.
In the maelstrom, it is up to disaster management, traffic, police, medics — our local heroes — to do the best they can with available resources.
Until the provincial leadership and its officials physically show up and warn people in situ, there remains scepticism.
Fine-sounding statements are mere hubris.
Relentless heating of the air, oceans and soil is fuelling extreme rainfall and intensifying tropical cyclones
For starters, the party appears to operate a number of bright yellow bakkies with large sound systems bolted to the rear.
These could be deployed in storm-threatened communities and would save lives.
On March 23, the World Meteorological Organisation stated that the past 11 years have been the hottest on record; 2025 was in the top three warmest years ever.
The Anthropocene — human-caused climate warming — has resulted in chaos which killed nearly two-million people since 1970.
Relentless heating of the air, oceans and soil is fuelling extreme rainfall and intensifying tropical cyclones.
We include cut-off low storms — more accurately termed mid-latitude cyclones by meteorologists, in this self-harming pollution fest.
SAWS now states that climate change is a “present reality affecting lives, security and development”, and in recent months has experienced “intensifying climate-related disasters”.
In this extraordinary moment, the public needs to look up and take climate science and global and national warnings seriously.
We need to be informed and educated.
And we need to look at ourselves, to start to set up community disaster warning groups on WhatsApp, such as the one which saved every life — but not one home — in the Palmiet flood during the 2022 Durban rain bomb in which 459 people died.
We can unclog storm drains, nail down roofs, dig drainage, cut fallen trees blocking roads and help people.
And do it until the cavalry arrives.
Daily Dispatch
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