Home » Rare Mammatus Clouds Over Pretoria After Joburg’s Major Hail Storm

Rare Mammatus Clouds Over Pretoria After Joburg’s Major Hail Storm

After a major thunder and hail storm in Johannesburg on Saturday, which caused devastating damage to buildings from Lenasia to Soweto, these rare Mammatus clouds – photographed by Raymond J. O’Connor  – formed over Pretoria. (These photos have not been photoshopped!) “They got the storm, we got the clouds,” he told SAPeople. “It rained for a […]

By SAPeople
31-12-17 00:06
in Eish!

After a major thunder and hail storm in Johannesburg on Saturday, which caused devastating damage to buildings from Lenasia to Soweto, these rare Mammatus clouds – photographed by Raymond J. O’Connor  – formed over Pretoria. (These photos have not been photoshopped!)

“They got the storm, we got the clouds,” he told SAPeople. “It rained for a little while here. Then it stopped, and suddenly hailed a little. And about 10 minutes after that, these clouds appeared.”

According to Accuweather, Mammatus are “a rare example of clouds in sinking air – most clouds form in rising air… For a mammatus to form, the sinking air must be cooler than the air around it and have high liquid water or ice content. They derive their name from their appearance, like the bag-like sacs that hang beneath the cloud resemble cow’s udders.”

Raymond said: “These clouds are associated with severe hail and thunderstorms… but it was quite calm here; Joburg had it worse.”

The storm which hit Johannesburg caused severe damage and injuries. Some residents were injured in car accidents on wet and flooded roads, while others were rushed to hospitals after the strong winds and hail caused a roof collapse at Food Lovers Market in Lenasia, and devastating damage to homes in parts of Soweto.

ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak said: “ER24 urges the public to take caution driving on flooded roads or low-lying areas where roads are flooded or low-level bridges.”

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned residents of continued thunderstorms.

ANC Spokesperson Zizi Kodwa‏ commended SAWS for their effective warning system in Gauteng and tweeted: “You saved a lot of lives, it was very heavy.”

Motorists have been urged to drive with caution and not to attempt to drive through any flooded areas.

https://twitter.com/CaptainBalls2/status/947166191092748288

https://twitter.com/matovm/status/947151465898041344

Saturday evening sunset over Boksburg after the rain. Photo by Candice Surmon Skjoldhammer.