South Africa has been hit by unprecedented rain, the heaviest in 60 years, with at least 448 people killed in the city of Durban and the surrounding KwaZulu-Natal province. Nearly 4,000 homes and 500 schools have been destroyed, with more than 40,000 people displaced by floods and mudslides caused by prolonged heavy rains.
The weather system that triggered the floods led to more than 300mm of rain being dumped in a 24-hour period on 11 April, equal to about 75% of South Africa’s average total annual precipitation. Further rainfall on subsequent days increased these totals by up to 150mm in regions around Durban, which exacerbated flooding problems.
