Skip to content

SANParks.org Forums

View unanswered posts | View active topics






Post new topic Reply to topic  Page 1 of 1
 [ 9 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: What about the far north?
Unread postPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:55 pm 
Offline
Junior Virtual Ranger
Junior Virtual Ranger
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:22 am
Posts: 579
Location: Pretoria
It's good to know that the far north (Punda, Pafuri and Shingwedzi areas) has been spared the flooding...

But what I would like to know is: has it had some rain at least?.... or is it still dry as a bone up there? :wink:

And... if it has had some rain.... maybe even enough for the Shingwedzi River to flow properly instead of just having a little excuse of a stream about a tenth (or is that a twentieth? :hmz: ) of the size of the river bed... does anyone have pics? :D


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: What about the far north?
Unread postPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 1:49 pm 
Offline
Senior Virtual Ranger
Senior Virtual Ranger
User avatar

Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 1:45 pm
Posts: 5607
Location: Thankfully not in a city
Rainfall at Shingwedzi - 18 Jan 26mm , 19 Jan 23mm - total approx 70mm the last 2 weeks . Shingwedzi river may flow strongly for ist time since late Dec 2011 , as there was quite a bit of rain in the adjacent northern areas in the 24 hr period ending 8 a.m. today :

LEVUBU 72
THOHOYANDOU WO 41
ZANEEN-WESTFALIA ESTATE44

Up till yesterday there had been no flood damage north of Mopani , but keep watching the tropical storm Funso development :

http://www.weatherphotos.co.za/guestbook1.html

_________________
KNP is sacred. I am opposed to the modernisation of Kruger and from the depths of my soul long for the Kruger of yesteryear! 1000+km on foot in KNP incl 56 wild trails.200+ nights in the wildernessndloti-indigenous name for serval.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: What about the far north?
Unread postPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:02 pm 
Offline
Junior Virtual Ranger
Junior Virtual Ranger

Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2006 4:34 pm
Posts: 514
I was up at Pafuri Camp last week.

Rainfall:

January 17th: <1mm (cloudy and windy with drizzle on and off)

January 18th: 55 mm (of which 45 mm fell during a very short period in the morning. Dry again by noon).

January 19th: 20 mm (steady gentle rain late night and early morning. Partly cloudy during the day, with the odd light shower).

Eco Training (8,8 km from Pafuri Camp as the crow flies) got 145 mm in less than two hours on the 18th, with another 100 mm on top of that. I have no figures for The Outpost.

No infrastructure damage that I could see, the odd tree down in the Fever Tree Forest. The access road to Pafuri Camp became a river on the 18th, but the alluvial soils sucked it all up in a couple of days.

The Limpopo pans from Makwadzi to Likangwa are brimming full. Banyini (in the northwestern corner) largely dry, with open water only in the usual pool between the little koppie and the mountain. Reedbuck Vlei at the other end had some open water, but was far from full. The adjacent Fever Tree Forest was also dry in the sense that there were no pools of open water. I did not have the opportunity to check Nwambi Pan, but the Nwambi Creek that runs to the Luvuvhu only had water in the deeper pools. The Luvuvhu River rose and fell a couple of times, but never reached anywhere near high levels. I watched the Ximuwana River come down in a raging muddy torrent, but the (high) bridge was never in any danger.

No roads closed, except for Nyala Loop. That was pretty pointless, as I drove it before they closed it, and the road was just fine.

Game viewing excellent, by the way. In my experience heavy rain usually does the game viewing a lot of good. Never stay in camp just because it is pouring.

Johan


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: What about the far north?
Unread postPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:27 pm 
Offline
Junior Virtual Ranger
Junior Virtual Ranger

Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2006 4:34 pm
Posts: 514
ndloti wrote:
Shingwedzi river may flow strongly for ist time since late Dec 2011 , as there was quite a bit of rain in the adjacent northern areas in the 24 hr period ending 8 a.m. today
I crossed the high bridge on the morning of the 24th, there was very little water in the river. I drove part of the Mphongolo loop on the way. The pools were very full, but the river was not flowing. I crossed the Letaba some hours later. It was flowing, but not stongly.

Johan


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: What about the far north?
Unread postPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:35 am 
Offline
Junior Virtual Ranger
Junior Virtual Ranger
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:22 am
Posts: 579
Location: Pretoria
This is all good to hear :D . I'll hold thumbs for a little more rain in the area...

:thanx: all


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: What about the far north?
Unread postPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:02 am 
Offline
Junior Virtual Ranger
Junior Virtual Ranger

Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2006 4:34 pm
Posts: 514
Dabchick wrote:
I'll hold thumbs for a little more rain in the area...
The north needs more rain, that's fore sure, expect perhaps for the area around Punda Maria, which looks really lush. A couple of days of steady soft rain for a total of at least 60 mm would be great.

Johan


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: What about the far north?
Unread postPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:45 am 
Offline

Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:14 pm
Posts: 25
Was last week at Shingwedzi for 10 nights. Area very dry. They need rain. the river is dry except for a few puddles in the river. There is still a lot of grass. Have seen Kanniedooddam with less water but it is the end of the rainy season. To the east it is beautiful. We have not seen Grootvloerdam so full in a long time. To the north is also not bad, Levuhu river is still flowing and Punda Maria green and a lot of water. It seems that area around Shingwedzi is the only area that was not fortunate this year. Red Rocks area very dry.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: What about the far north?
Unread postPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 9:08 am 
Offline
Moderator
Moderator
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2005 6:31 pm
Posts: 7262
Location: Ballito, KZN North Coast, South Africa
FAC Member (2011)
That is what we saw as well, very dry around Shingwedzi, hardly any water in the river. Lets hope they get some rain before the end of the season.

_________________
Where ever you go, go with all your Heart.

Kruger - Feb 6th - 22rd - 2013 &
May 24th - June 15th -2013.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: What about the far north?
Unread postPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:22 am 
Offline
Junior Virtual Ranger
Junior Virtual Ranger
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:09 pm
Posts: 1734
Location: In the heart of the Waterberg; Deep in Limpopo
We were in Shingwedzi in May 2010 when there was a cloudburst - 80mm+ fell in less than an hour which left part of the camping ground somewhat wet! We'll be there again this May - chances of rain are therefore good! Hopefully, there will be some showers before then..............

_________________
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
Benjamin Franklin


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 9 posts ] 



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group

Webcams Highlights

Addo Nossob Orpen Satara
Addo Nossob Orpen Satara
Submitted by ritad at 14:45:06 Submitted by ritad at 11:30:32 Submitted by Shiba at 01:25:15 Submitted by Sukha at 10:17:49