STORY: :: Tjaart Nel
:: June 3, 2024
:: Drivers capture dark swirling clouds resembling a tornado over coastal South Africa
::Trevor Freemantle
:: La Mercy, Durban
Trevor Freemantle who filmed the video described what he saw to Reuters.
"I saw the huge very black cloud approaching from the West heading East towards the sea. I then noticed it resembled a tornado and had lots of debris flying around with it...It really did look like something you would see in a movie. The clouds were actually much darker than can be seen in the video. My vehicle was being buffeted by the strong winds. After it passed I noticed vehicles that had been struck by debris and a truck had been turned on its side. There were broken trees as well. Tornados are a very rare occurrence in South Africa."
Local media reported that the national weather service had issued a level four warning for heavy rain and possible flooding. Rescue services said that the weather phenomena resulted in several homes being destroyed and people displaced.
The video was verified by the location from the nearby buildings, trees, and field which matched satellite imagery of the area. Reuters was able to confirm the date from the metadata which matched what the source reported.
