BREAKING NEWS: Freak storm causes havoc in three provinces

BRITS – It was a quiet night like any other until all hell broke loose around 21h00 yesterday when a storm warning was circulated of an eastbound storm from Koster heading to Pretoria made a ‘quick pitstop’ in Brits to cause severe damages to infrastructure in the Madibeng area. The lights went off and in the darkness a sudden roar of thunder and intense bursts of wind gusts ripped through Brits leaving destruction in its wake. Trees were uprooted, roofs of homes and businesses were ripped off and large parts of Brits, Lethlabile, Oukasie and Hartbeespoort were left without electricity. At the start, the storm made its way through Koster in North West and Moruleng causing severe structural damages, it initially showed signs of losing strength over Rustenburg before continuing to Brits and surrounding areas. The freak storm grew even more intense over Brits and Hartbeespoort areas, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, damaging infrastructure and structures. As it reached Pretoria, Gauteng, the storm unleashed its full fury, causing widespread devastation and leaving behind a scene of utter destruction. It was evident that the South African Weather Service had failed to anticipate the severity of this storm, as their belated weather warning came as little help to those already caught in its path.