Gale-force winds that battered parts of Durban and surrounding areas over the weekend left thousands of residents without electricity and caused widespread damage across the eThekwini Municipality.

The strong winds, which struck on Saturday afternoon, uprooted more than 20 trees, damaged overhead power lines and left debris scattered across roads in at least 15 communities.

Technical teams worked through the night to restore power to affected areas, with the municipality confirming that electricity had been restored to several communities by Monday morning. However, crews remained on site to clear the remaining backlog.

15 areas left without power

Affected areas include Baphehli, Folweni, Amaoti, Waterloo, Moriah, Klaarwater, Savannah Park, Inanda, Gunjini, Redcliffe, Malukazi, KwaNdengezi, Clermont, Umlazi C and Thornwood.

The eThekwini Municipality’s Electricity and Energy Directorate said overhead medium-voltage circuits were particularly vulnerable to the strong winds. Tree branches, roof sheets and other flying objects damaged the overhead electricity infrastructure, causing the outages.

The municipality said restoration of electricity supply can take time as switching staff and technical teams are required to inspect affected overhead line circuits to identify the cause of faults before repairs can be safely conducted.

Fallen trees block major roads

The Recreation and Parks Directorate, working with the city’s emergency services, responded to multiple incidents of fallen trees across the city. Fallen trees were reported on Masabalala Yengwa Avenue, Currie Road, Prospect Road, Balmoral Road, Kenneth Kaunda Road, Ridge Road in uMhlanga, Mazisi Kunene Road, John Zikhali Road, Patrick Duncan Road in Kloof, Margaret Maytom Avenue, Hilltop Road in uMkomaas, Marian Road in Amanzimtoti, O’Flaherty Road, Quarry Road, Penzance Road and Hatton Avenue in Sherwood.

The Durban Metro Police Service managed traffic along affected routes, while Fire Services attended to a damaged billboard near the N2 and Queen Nandi Drive, which posed a risk to road users.

No injuries were reported by Monday morning.

The South African Weather Service had issued a Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging winds and waves along the KwaZulu-Natal coast, covering the region from Port Edward to Kosi Bay.

The municipality said the full extent of the damage is not yet known, with assessments ongoing and the number of reported incidents expected to change as further reports are received.

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Residents urged to stay safe

Motorists have been urged to avoid affected routes where possible, reduce speed and remain alert to fallen trees, debris and damaged structures.

The public has been warned not to approach or attempt to move fallen electricity cables, particularly where trees have brought down power lines.

Residents are urged to exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel where possible and secure loose objects around homes and properties.

Fallen trees, damaged structures and other wind-related incidents should be reported to the Disaster Management Centre.

The municipality said it will continue monitoring the situation and provide further updates as assessments are completed.