Winter chill starts to bite- Warning over slippery roads after rain, snow

With a cold and wet weekend predicted for parts of the Eastern Cape, Tiffindell Ski Resort yesterday reported a 15cm blanket of winter’s first snow.

Heavy rainfalls of up to 26mm were reported in parts of Port Elizabeth and 7mm in the East London area yesterday morning.

Tiffindell Ski Resort manager Lew Campbell welcomed the first snowfall ahead of winter.

“It looks like we are in for a good winter season after receiving snowfall this early, so we are very excited.”

He said the resort was currently closed but would open early next month until the end of August.”

In Barkly East, Old Mill Inn guesthouse owner Mark Devett said they had experienced heavy rain since Thursday night.

“It is very cold today, I would reckon it is about 8°C, but I would definitely caution drivers to be careful because the roads are wet and slippery,” Devett said.

Journalist Ben Maclennan, who now farms at Skilderkrans in the foothills of the southern Drakensberg outside Rossouw, said: “It is unpleasantly cold. There is a spitting, driving rain coming out of the south-east.”

He stepped outside and checked his thermometer which showed 5°C – “but it’s colder with wind chill. It will have to get warmer for it to snow,” he said. The farm had enjoyed 11mm of rain overnight. Hogsback was swathed in thick cloud with temperatures dropping down to 5°C yesterday afternoon.

“We have had lots of rain since Thursday night,” said Nombasa Dyosi, who works at Away with the Fairies.

Her colleague, Rory Blake, said: “It is really, really cold. We expect it to get colder.”

At the coast, Haga Haga building contractor Derek Evans said their road was slippery and dangerous.

“This road is getting worse each time it rains and nothing seems to be done about it. The problem is that there are many businesses along this road and their employees have had to turn back because taxis were not willing to drive on it for fear of getting stuck.

“We have received about 15mm which makes the road impassable,” Evans said.

Transport provincial spokeswoman Khuselwa Rantjie said no accidents had been reported and no passes closed yet. “We are watching all our passes closely as communities have sighted snow already on the mountains near Barkly East, Maclear, Elliot and residents in the Graaff-Reinet area have reported dropping temperatures,” she said.

“Motorists are warned to exercise caution and patience as the roads will be slippery.”