Massive hailstorm over Gauteng, South Africa

Massive hailstorm over Gauteng, South Africa

28 November 2013 09:00–18:00 UTC

Massive hailstorm over Gauteng, South Africa
Massive hailstorm over Gauteng, South Africa

Severe thunderstorms with golf ball size hail and flash floods hit Gauteng province of South Africa in late November.

Last Updated

04 May 2023

Published on

28 November 2013

By Edwin Thema (South African Weather Service)

Massive thunderstorms were triggered over the central parts of South Africa by the low level convergence of moist tropical air over the east of South Africa and the dry air from the western interior. The brightness temperature difference BTD of IR12.0-IR10.8 image (Figure 1) is used to illustrate the moist air to the east and dry air to the west, in a cloud free area.

 Brightness temperature difference BTD of IR12.0-IR10.8 image, 28 Nov, 09:00 UTC
Figure 1: Brightness temperature difference BTD of IR12.0-IR10.8, 28 November 09:00 UTC

There was other dynamics on the day that favoured the development of severe thunderstorms. In Figure 2, the midnight sounding for Irene station situated in the northern parts of Gauteng shows moist conditions in the lower atmosphere, becoming drier in the mid levels, known as loaded gun sounding.

The sounding also shows a great deal of wind shear, both directional, with the wind direction swinging from north-easterly in lower atmosphere to westerly in the mid-levels, and speed shearing.

 Midnight sounding from Irene station, 28 November 2013
Figure 2: Midnight sounding from Irene station, 28 November 2013
 
 Met-10, 28 Nov 12:00 UTC
Figure 3: Met-10 Natural Colour RGB with 700 hPa winds and 500 hPa pressure lines, 28 November 12:00 UTC. Credit: EUMeTrain.

The presence of wind shear is also shown in Meteosat-10, Natural Colours RGB image overlaid with 700hPa winds and 500hPa pressure lines. It clearly shows the Gauteng area with wind at 700hPa crossing the 500hPa pressure lines at a greater angle, close to 90 degrees.

These severe thunderstorms were driven by winds at 500hPa level than the usual 700hPa winds, and they moved in a north-easterly direction along the periphery of the upper high pressure system affecting areas in south-western Gauteng (Randfontein, Roodepoort and Krugersdorp) during lunchtime and northern Gauteng (Mamelodi, Soshanguve and Hammanskraal) later in the afternoon and early evening.

Tshwane municipality in Gauteng was declared a disaster zone after these severe storms ripped through parts of the area, with golf ball sized hail and flash floods that resulted in damage to a number of households and infrastructure. The storms tore apart roofs and blew out windows.

 Meteosat-10 enhanced IR10.8 and HRV, 28 November 14:00 UTC
Figure 4: Meteosat-10 enhanced IR10.8 and HRV, 28 November 14:00 UTC

The enhanced IR10.8 and HRV sandwich product (Figure 4 and animation) shows there were overshooting tops over these storms, with the cloud top temperature going to a low -79°C. The cold U-shapes over the cloud show the extent of the severity of these storms.

The animation shows the progression of these storms, an outflow boundary that flows to the opposite direction of these storms, and how the cold U-shape evolves to becoming a cold ring at times.

The radar reflectivity over Gauteng showed high values going up to 70dbz for relatively large areas on this day (Figure 5) — according to SAWS interpretation, anything above 60 indicates very heavy showers and large hail.

 Radar relectivity, 28 November 14:46 UTC
Figure 5: Radar relectivity, 28 November 14:46 UTC
Figure 6: Meteosat-10 Severe Convection RGB, 28 November 09:00–15:15 UTC

The Severe Convection RGB animation (Figure 6), shows bright yellow colours over these storms and it resembles the amount of small ice particles formed from strong updrafts in the clouds.


Additional content

Hailstorm causes panic in JHB (ENCA)
Storm and Floods in Gauteng, South Africa (Floodlist)