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Consumers without electricity following snowfall
- Eskom says restoration may take longer
- SAWS issues Level 5 warning
Consumers in the Tsolo-Qumbu and Matatiele areas of the Eastern Cape have been cut off from electricity supply due to bad weather conditions, including snowfall. Eskom has said the bad weather conditions have put a strain on network infrastructure and may hinder the speedy restoration of electricity supply to affected households.
In a statement released, Eskom says, ”The Eastern Cape province has experienced heavy rainfall since Monday 31 May, and this has made accessing certain areas of supply a challenge, especially in far-flung rural areas where wet roads and low-lying bridges have heightened the risk to our technicians as they try to get to customers”.
”Eskom is prepared to handle electricity faults that continue to occur. However, restoration of supply might take longer than normal due to access difficulties in some areas”, the statement continued. Eskom pleaded with consumers to be patient as efforts are ongoing to restore supply despite the weather conditions.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has also issued a Level 5 warning in a statement issued. ”The cold temperatures follow in the wake of a cold front that moved over the eastern parts of the country on Sunday evening, sustained by the development of a cut-off low-pressure system over the south-eastern parts of the country”, SAWS said.