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South Africa Sees Harsh Winter Weather

The wild weather system which have brought intense heat and caused deaths in the United States and Europe have been mirrored in the Southern Hemisphere by intense wintry weather the likes of which hasn`t been seen in years. South Africans are seeing one of their harshest winters in years, with at least four deaths blamed on flooding from heavy rains that have caused travel delays in the south and west of the country. Johannesburg saw flurries Wednesday for the first time in at least eight years.

Freezing temperatures are not unusual at higher altitudes in any part of the Earth during winter season, but the heavy snowfall in some interior South African towns that rarely experience such weather has reportedly stunned office workers, who have been staring out of their windows, savoring the snowy pectacle. More snow and gale force winds were expected this past Thursday in some areas, as this story went to press.

Along the southern coast, including the town of George in the Western Cape province, torrential rains have caused severe flooding, leading to incidents including one where a rain-swollen river swept a car from a bridge. Police recovered two men and two children who had been inside the vehicle, but rescuers were looking for a fifth person believed to have been in the car.