Warnings of floods and low rivers

Warnings of floods and low rivers ELLANIE SMIT

Tourists have been urged to make other arrangements if they plan on making use of the Sendelingsdrift pontoon border crossing between Namibia and South Africa due to a significant drop in the water level.

The pontoon is located within the Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Park between Namibia and South Africa and is currently struggling to stay operational due to the low water level of the river.

South African National Parks (SANParks) says the operations of the pontoon are being monitored daily and it will be closed immediately if needs be.

“The situation is not looking good as only a single vehicle can be ferried across at a time.”

According to SANParks visitors planning to cross the border by means of the ferry should make use of alternative routes such as Alexander Bay or Vioolsdrift.

Meanwhile the Windhoek weather bureau has warned that heavy rainfall in excess of 50 mm is expected daily in the Kavango and Zambezi regions for the next few days, and flash floods are likely.

According to forecaster Sieglinde Somses, over the next few days tropical moisture will stay in circulation in the interior of the country, resulting in rainy conditions. She says this will continue until Friday in the Keetmanshoop and Karasburg area and then clear up from the south to the central and central northern areas.

Persistent rain is expected in the Zambezi and Kavango regions, which can cause waterlogging, says Somses.

She says the interior will remain hot, with minimum temperatures averaging 28 degrees Celsius and the maximum at more than 35 degrees.

Over the last few days good rainfall has been recorded in some parts of the country. Last week Friday Oshikango had 55mm, Geduld 50mm and Goedemoed 33mm.

On Monday 120.8mm of rain was recorded at Mpacha Airport in Katima Mulilo and 72mm at Omaruru.

On Tuesday Nukurenkuru received 52.8mm, Rundu airport 31.4mm and Mpacha Airport 31mm. Rundu received 25.5mm while Gobabis had 24.6mm.

According to the daily river bulletin the Zambezi River at Katima Mulilo is below the lowest recording level and remains lower than last year

Water levels in the Kavango River are rising slightly and at Rundu station (4.35m) the level is above normal for this time of the year.