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Record wet weather for Jhb
07/06/2007 09:11 - (SA)
Schalk Mouton, Beeld
Johannesburg - The record books were rewritten on Wednesday when Johannesburg experienced the wettest day in June in 44 years.
Not that rain was strange - but it was strange that it rained so much, said the South African Weather Service.
According to Mark Todd, a weather forecaster, the shower of rain was one of the biggest yet recorded in June in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
In Johannesburg it was the most rain in 24 hours since 1963. In Pretoria it almost equalled the 1989 record of 36mm.
In Johannesburg 25mm was measured between 08:00 on Tuesday and 08:00 on Wednesday. At Irene outside Pretoria, 33mm was measured. Hail as well
Johannesburg's rainfall record for June was 31mm, which fell on June 12 1963.
"That excludes the large shower of rain that fell after 08:00," said Todd. It continued to rain in and around the city on Wednesday morning and according to Todd another 14mm had fallen in Johannesburg by 14:00. That could mean another record.
The rain was accompanied by hail.
The East Rand experienced a huge hailstorm and reports of hail were also received from the West Rand and Pretoria.
According to Todd this hail could easily be taken for snow, as happened in August last year.
The wet weather influenced the traffic and caused traffic jams on most highways. According to the metro police in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni no serious accidents were reported.
Air traffic at all the airports was also influenced. According to Solomon Makgale, spokesperson for the airports company Acsa, flights were delayed for about 20 minutes.
The weather quickly cleared on Wednesday afternoon and no more rain was forecast for Thursday. According to Todd, Gautengers could look forward to a sunny weekend.
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