{"id":12625,"date":"2026-01-15T15:32:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T15:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=12625"},"modified":"2026-01-15T15:32:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T15:32:28","slug":"sa-closes-kruger-park-as-deadly-floods-kill-dozens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=12625","title":{"rendered":"SA closes Kruger Park as deadly floods kill dozens"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Deadly floods prompted South Africa\u2019s iconic Kruger National Park to shut to further visitors, after extreme rainfall killed dozens in the northeast of the country and neighboring Mozambique.<\/p>\n

The South African Weather Service on Thursday issued its highest weather warning level for the first time in almost four years, following days of heavy rains that have caused roads to collapse. Rivers in Mozambique burst their banks, stranding communities and closing the main north-south highway in the gas-rich nation.<\/p>\n

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Day Visitors Into The Kruger National Park Temporarily Suspended. Due to persistent and heavy rainfall affecting the Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces, the park has taken a precautionary decision not to allow day visitors into KNP until conditions improve: https:\/\/t.co\/QfIPDeBUuM pic.twitter.com\/YWyxkNDJ3x<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 SANParks (@SANParks) January 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

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Even before the current low pressure system hit over the weekend, parts of southern Mozambique had received record rainfall during the second week of January, according to preliminary data from the Climate Hazards Center of University of California, Santa Barbara. The European Commission\u2019s Emergency Response Coordination Centre forecast that parts of northeastern South Africa will get more than 500 millimeters (20 inches) over three days.<\/p>\n

\u201cDue to the combination of very high amounts of rainfall already accumulated over the past several days, and the expectation of further heavy rainfall, the risk of widespread flooding remains critically high,\u201d the South African Weather Service said. \u201cThese additional rainfall amounts are expected to fall over already saturated catchments, which will exacerbate existing widespread flooding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Helicopters airlifted people from stranded communities in northern South Africa\u2019s Limpopo province, the state broadcaster reported Thursday. Authorities said at least 19 people had died in flooding across two provinces since December. Mozambique\u2019s government reported more than three dozen deaths as of January 14.<\/p>\n

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will visit the country\u2019s Limpopo province later on Thursday to assess the extent of damage.<\/p>\n

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The last time the South African Weather Service issued a red level 10 warning was in May 2022, when more than 400 people died in floods in KwaZulu-Natal province.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9 2026 Bloomberg<\/p>\n

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