Rescuers continue to look for a Centurian man who jumped into the Hennops River

Rescuers called off the search on Sunday due to heavy and persistent rain.

Rescuers called off the search on Sunday due to heavy and persistent rain.

Published 5h ago

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Authorities are set to continue the search of a man who was swept away by floods in the Hennops River in Centurion, south of Pretoria on Monday. 

Rescuers called off the search on Sunday due to heavy and persistent rain. 

Tshwane Emergency Services said that the man jumped into the river on Sunday in order to escape from security guards.

Tshwane Emergency Services spokesperson Lindsay Mnguni noted that rescue efforts will take a while as the Hennops River is quite lengthy, and constant rain in the area is also hindering them. 

A wet Christmas

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has predicted wet conditions in most parts of the country on Christmas Day. 

Rainfall is expected to make landfall in six provinces. 

The provinces expected to experience heavy rainfall include Limpopo, the Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and the North West.

On Monday, the weather service said isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers are expected over the central and eastern areas of the country as well as along the south coast, but widespread over KwaZulu-Natal and along the coast of the Eastern Cape.

"This substantial rainfall increase is likely to elevate the risk of flooding. As a result, the public is strongly urged to stay informed by following short-term weather forecasts and any warnings issued by the Saws," the weather service said. 

IOL NEWS