NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY ACTIVATES HEIGHTENED DISASTER RESPONSE FOLLOWING LEVEL 8 WEATHER WARNING
Published: June 02, 2026<< BACK TO NEWS
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Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has activated the Joint Operations Centre (JOC) and a heightened disaster management and emergency response plan following the South African Weather Service's upgrade of the weather warning from Level 5 to Level 8 for disruptive rainfall, effective from Wednesday 03 June until Thursday 04 June 2026. The warning covers Nelson Mandela Bay and surrounding areas, with forecasts indicating up to 200mm of rainfall, widespread flooding, dangerous travel conditions, infrastructure damage and potential disruptions to communities.
The Municipality is urging all residents, businesses, motorists and community organisations to take immediate precautionary measures ahead of the anticipated severe weather conditions.
According to the South African Weather Service, the upgrade was necessitated by increased rainfall projections, saturated ground conditions resulting from recent rainfall, and the significant damage caused by previous weather systems.
Forecasts indicate rainfall accumulations of up to 100mm on Wednesday, with a further 50mm to 100mm possible on Thursday. Rainfall probabilities remain extremely high, with a 100% chance of rain on Wednesday and an 80% chance on Thursday.
The Municipality's Disaster Management Centre, emergency services, engineering teams and critical infrastructure departments have been placed on high alert and are coordinating preparedness measures across the Metro.
The expected impacts include:
• Widespread flooding of formal and informal settlements
• Flooding of roads, bridges and low-lying areas
• Significant disruptions to transport routes
• Dangerous driving conditions caused by reduced visibility and slippery roads
• Potential mudslides and rockfalls
• Damage to public and private infrastructure
• Communities becoming isolated due to flooding and road closures
Residents living in flood prone areas are urged to prepare for possible evacuations should conditions deteriorate.
The Municipality is further monitoring a Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging waves, with wave heights of between 4 and 5 metres expected along the Nelson Mandela Bay coastline.
Residents are advised to exercise extreme caution around beaches, coastal walkways and low-lying coastal areas, particularly during the following high tide periods:
• Wednesday, 03 June 2026: 05:00 and 17:25
• Thursday, 04 June 2026: 05:30 and 18:00
The Municipality strongly advises residents to postpone non-essential travel during the warning period, avoid crossing flooded roads, rivers and streams, secure valuable belongings and remain informed through official communication channels.
Emergency services remain on standby and residents are encouraged to immediately report emergencies and weather-related incidents through the Municipality's emergency response channels.
The safety of residents remains the Municipality's highest priority and all communities are urged to take this warning seriously.
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