Tornado hits Pietermaritzburg during severe storm
· The South African
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) confirmed that a sudden tornado developed in Bishopstowe, Pietermaritzburg, during severe storms that lashed parts of the province on Sunday, 5 April 2026.
In a post on its Facebook page, SAWS said a weak storm formed near Bishopstowe in KwaZulu-Natal shortly after 5pm and remained in the same area for some time before conditions intensified.
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“The curved landscape likely helped the storm rotate and even produce small hail.Soon after, stronger storms moved in from the west, increasing wind, moisture, and instability.
This created the perfect setup for a brief tornado between 17:20 and 17:40. With sunset at 17:51 and changing (satellite) imagery, spotting the details in real time became more difficult.”
TORNADO CAUSES DAMAGE IN MULTIPLE AREAS
According to Independent Online (IOL), Ward 37 councillor in the Msunduzi Municipality, Edith Elliott, shared on Facebook that the tornado caused damage in several areas.
She said the storm tore through Bishopstowe, Lincoln Meade, Hayfields, and parts of Scottsville.
“This severe weather phenomenon caused severe damage to electrical infrastructure including tearing down power lines and trees, severe damage to Grimthorpe road low-lying bridge, massive cane damage in the Bishopstowe region, and mass power failures across Pietermaritzburg. Disaster management teams are on the ground in these affected areas to restore stability.”
DISASTER TEAMS WORK TO RESTORE SERVICES
Also, according to IOL, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs confirmed that the Provincial Disaster Management Centre is working closely with the affected municipality to clear debris and restore services.
Authorities said teams are currently assessing the damage and responding to affected communities. At this stage, no fatalities have been reported.