Currently, 13 of South Africa’s dams are below 10% full, 58 dams are below 40% and 29 dams are above 100%. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) continues to monitor 211 dams on a weekly basis. “Our national storage situation is still remains a great cause for concern. Generally we need to continue to intensify the enforcement of restrictions during winter to prevent a spike in usage during early spring,” the department said in a statement. Dams such as Ngotwane, Lindleyspoort and Swartruggens continue to decrease and are now less than 10%. This is of great concern in the North West Province, particularly since these dams are in arid areas. The seasonal outlook for the period August to October in this summer rainfall region is expected to be below normal. However in the lead up to Christmas large parts of the country may experience significantly higher than normal rainfall. While current observations indicate a neutral ENSO most climate prediction models indicate a tendency towards a moderate (weak) La Niña development through the spring to summer, with the possibility of neutral conditions still likely. There is still uncertainty with regard to the outlook for the rest of South Africa.
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