SAWDOS Real Time Observers in Kwazulu Natal keep the public informed of heavy rain and flooding!

I read yesterday that TS Irina has now finally been declared "dead" by a certain local weather forecasting service after the heavy rain in Kwazulu Natal this past weekend. What this means is that TS Irina was still very much active and alive according to the weather forecasting service.

Once again the warning for heavy rain in Kwazulu Natal came very late. In fact is was already raining buckets when the official warning went out. On the 11 March 2012 at 04h00 no warning was issued for heavy rain. Surely the SAWS should have known by then that heavy rain is expected. The first warning went out on the 11 March 2012 at 16h00. By then it was already raining heavily.

Some might get tired of my whining about the service rendered by the SAWS. I once again confirm that I have no bone to pick with the SAWS. In fact maybe I should refrain from pointing out certain omissions/flaws by the SAWS. Maybe even ignore them all together. But the SAWS is the only official source authorized to issue severe weather warnings and when warnings are late it effects the people of South Africa.

The reason I mention the late issuing of the warning of heavy rain in Kwazulu Natal is that this has happened many times in the past. I have read several recommendations of studies being undertaken by respected organizations making recommendations to the SAWS that weather warnings must be issued well in advance. This year alone several severe weather warnings were issued late and the public expressed their dismay in this regard. I agree that one cannot issue certain weather warnings well in advance as weather conditions change all the time but the issue of a weather warning while it is already raining heavily is really unacceptable.

Finally: I am of the opinion that members of the public should not only rely on official severe weather warnings issued by the SAWS. We need to become more weather wise. If we going to rely on only one weather service or source, we will be left vulnerable. I would like to take the opportunity to thank those who send in regular real time observation reports. If the SAWDOS did not receive those reports from Kwazulu Natal, the public would not have been informed before the official warning was issued. In other words the public responded well in advance even before the SAWS issued their official warning for heavy rain in areas of Kwazulu Natal. This clearly illustrate the benefit of having real time observers on the ground.