Kruger Park Closure in South Africa Amid Deadly Floods Claiming Lives

Deadly floods have led to the closure of South Africa’s iconic Kruger National Park to further visitors. This decision comes in the wake of extreme rainfall that has tragically claimed dozens of lives in the northeast of the country and in neighboring Mozambique.

The South African Weather Service issued its highest weather warning level for the first time in nearly four years on Thursday. This alert follows several days of heavy rain that have caused significant infrastructure damage, including collapsed roads. In Mozambique, rivers have overflowed, stranding communities and disrupting access along the main north-south highway in the gas-rich nation.

Prior to the recent low-pressure system, parts of southern Mozambique had already experienced record rainfall during the second week of January, according to preliminary data from the Climate Hazards Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The European Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre has forecasted that northeastern South Africa could receive over 500 millimeters (20 inches) of rain within just three days.

“Given the already high levels of rainfall accumulated over the past several days and the expectation of further heavy precipitation, the risk of widespread flooding remains critically high,” stated the South African Weather Service. “These additional rainfall amounts are expected to fall over already saturated catchments, exacerbating existing widespread flooding.”

The South African Air Force has deployed two helicopters to assist in airlifting individuals from stranded communities in Limpopo province. Among those evacuated were 18 people from a private lodge near Kruger Park. Authorities have reported at least 19 fatalities due to flooding across two provinces since December, while Mozambique’s government has confirmed more than three dozen deaths as of January 14.

The UK government has issued a travel warning to its citizens in the area, advising them to heed local authorities’ guidance and reconsider their travel plans if necessary.

On Thursday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Limpopo province to assess the damage, as reported by the Presidency on X.

The last time the South African Weather Service issued a red level 10 warning was in May 2022, following devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal province that resulted in over 400 deaths.

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

Topics
Flood

Deadly floods have led to the closure of South Africa’s iconic Kruger National Park to further visitors. This decision comes in the wake of extreme rainfall that has tragically claimed dozens of lives in the northeast of the country and in neighboring Mozambique.

The South African Weather Service issued its highest weather warning level for the first time in nearly four years on Thursday. This alert follows several days of heavy rain that have caused significant infrastructure damage, including collapsed roads. In Mozambique, rivers have overflowed, stranding communities and disrupting access along the main north-south highway in the gas-rich nation.

Prior to the recent low-pressure system, parts of southern Mozambique had already experienced record rainfall during the second week of January, according to preliminary data from the Climate Hazards Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The European Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre has forecasted that northeastern South Africa could receive over 500 millimeters (20 inches) of rain within just three days.

“Given the already high levels of rainfall accumulated over the past several days and the expectation of further heavy precipitation, the risk of widespread flooding remains critically high,” stated the South African Weather Service. “These additional rainfall amounts are expected to fall over already saturated catchments, exacerbating existing widespread flooding.”

The South African Air Force has deployed two helicopters to assist in airlifting individuals from stranded communities in Limpopo province. Among those evacuated were 18 people from a private lodge near Kruger Park. Authorities have reported at least 19 fatalities due to flooding across two provinces since December, while Mozambique’s government has confirmed more than three dozen deaths as of January 14.

The UK government has issued a travel warning to its citizens in the area, advising them to heed local authorities’ guidance and reconsider their travel plans if necessary.

On Thursday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Limpopo province to assess the damage, as reported by the Presidency on X.

The last time the South African Weather Service issued a red level 10 warning was in May 2022, following devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal province that resulted in over 400 deaths.

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

Topics
Flood