EXPLAINER | What's behind the KZN tornadoes, floods and snowfall across SA?
The weather system that brought on heavy rain fall, flooding, snowfall and damaging winds in various parts of the country is normal for winter.
The weather system that brought on thunderstorms along the east coast and flooding, as well as snowfall in other parts of the country in the past few days, are normal for this time of year - but its occurrence is becoming more frequent and its effects more severe, according to meteorologist Annette Botha.
Dr Christopher Lennard of the University of Cape Town's Climate System Analysis Group explained that cut-off lows occur all year, but are most frequent in winter and spring.Botha's explanation noted that this time of year sees the seasons move from autumn to winter.
According to the SAWS, the first tornado occurred between Newcastle and Utrecht in the early afternoon on Monday."…Initial investigations indicate that it started off as a rope tornado, which developed further into a cone tornado," a statement from the weather service read. Updated research on cut-off lows is needed, said Lennard. These weather systems were not mentioned in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's sixth assessment report, which points to the fact that they are"extremely understudied phenomena". The IPCC is the world's most foremost body of climate researchers.
SAWS said that although a singular weather event cannot be directly correlated to climate change, climatologists agree that these type of weather systems may become more frequent and intense in the future due to a warming climate.
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