Severe Snow, Floods, Winds Devastate Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal South Africa

Severe weather has devastated South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces, with heavy snow, strong winds, hailstorms, and flooding causing widespread damage and disruption. In the Eastern Cape, deadly floods have claimed multiple lives, including at least seven fatalities, with several people still missing after a minibus was swept away near Mthatha. Infrastructure damage includes destroyed homes, collapsed bridges, impassable roads, and extensive power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of households. Authorities have issued high-level weather alerts, including Level 9 Orange and Level 6 warnings, and have closed major roads to prevent further casualties. Rescue and disaster management teams are actively responding, deploying graders to clear snow and urging residents to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel. Officials attribute the intensity of these events partly to climate change, which is increasing rainfall and flooding severity in the region.