Winter has yet to release it icy grip in South Africa, despite spring, having officially sprung.
The Toronto Star reported on September 23, that a rare heavy snowstorm battered a large part of South Africa, dumping possibly as much as six feet of snow in some areas, bringing traffic on at least one major highway to a standstill, and causing two deaths that have been reported so far.
“A rare, heavy snowfall in South Africa this weekend blanketed the east coast of the country, bringing travel on the major N3 highway between Johannesburg and Durban to a standstill,” according to the Toronto Star. “Several portions of the N3 were closed and at least two people died from hypothermia after being trapped on the highway.”
Border crossings with Lesotho were closed by South African authorities due to dangerous road conditions, with KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial government delivering blankets and meals to some people stuck in stranded vehicles on the closed roads.
In the country’s rural areas where farms and ranches dominate, the South African Weather Service warned that the snow and cold weather could harm livestock and crops.