Extreme rainfall inundates South Africa and Mozambique | South Africa

Large areas of northeastern South Africa and neighboring Mozambique were flooded for several days by unusually heavy rains. Some locations in South Africa recorded hundreds of millimeters of rain over the weekend, such as Graskop in Mpumalanga, where 113mm fell in 24 hours, and Phalaborwa, which recorded around 85mm of rain. Rain has continued to fall in the region since the weekend.

The deluge was caused by a slow-moving low pressure system that remained entrenched in the region, repeatedly drawing moisture and triggering intense downpours. Additional heavy rainfall is expected on Friday and through the weekend. Mozambique’s capital Maputo could expect daily rainfall totals to exceed 200mm by late Friday, while western South Africa and northwest Eswatini could record more than 100mm.

Rain fell on already saturated ground after an unusually wet December, overwhelming river systems and causing widespread flooding. South Africa’s weather service has raised its flood alert to the highest level as roads have been washed away, infrastructure damaged and large areas rendered inaccessible. The Kruger National Park has been closed as floodwaters forced the evacuation of staff and visitors.

Since October 2025, parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga have received approximately twice their average annual rainfall. Prolonged rainy weather is disrupting the harvest and export of mangoes and lemons, threatening supply chains. Authorities also warned against the movement of wild animals, including crocodiles and hippos, which have been seen near homes. Emergency services also rescued residents trapped by rapidly rising rivers.

Meanwhile, in North America, January continued the theme of much of December with record-breaking heat. The core of the atypical heat is concentrated northward, with temperatures over the past few days 10 to 15°C warmer than usual for this time of year across much of the United States as well as parts of eastern and western Canada.

Temperatures were so abnormal that you might think it was late spring in parts of Alberta, Canada, where temperatures exceeded 15°C.

More broadly in North America, many places experienced exceptionally warm days and nights, breaking January records. Unusually high temperatures are expected to persist across much of the western half of North America over the coming days, while in the eastern half, an Arctic drop will bring temperatures well below normal for this time of year.