Extreme weather events are set to increase‚ Parliament warns

[caption id="attachment_162090" align="alignright" width="353"] POSTCARD PICTURE: A winter wonderland at a farm near Dordrecht. Picture: GRANT BOTHA[/caption]

“Evidence of rapid climate change…is already upon us‚” Parliament has said by way of urging South Africans to heed “weather warnings and to take all the necessary steps to avoid loss of property and life”.

The chair of the legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs‚ Phillemon Mapulane‚ made the call on Wednesday after tornados‚ snowfalls and floods affected parts of the country at the start of the week.

“Evidence of rapid climate change‚ including more frequent and intense weather systems and greater climate variability‚ is already upon us‚ as shown by ongoing changes in average rainfall patterns with some parts of our country experiencing heavy rainfall and extreme weather events‚” he said.

“Gauteng‚ KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape are the most affected by the current extreme weather conditions‚ which are only expected to relent over the weekend.”

“…We would like to take this opportunity to remind fellow South Africans that our White Paper on Climate Change has sounded these warnings‚ stating that rainfall is expected to become more variable‚ with an increase of extreme events such as flooding and droughts.”