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GEORGE NEWS & VIDEOS - The Garden Route Dam started overflowing on Monday night, 29 May, following a record rainfall of 144mm for the month up to that date, according to figures of the South African Weather Service (SAWS).
George Municipality's measurement, taken at the water purification works close to the mountain, was 161mm for the month up to Monday night.
The SAWS said a total of 32mm was measured on Monday. This followed after good rains in the second and third week of May (59,8mm and 40,9mm respectively) and a total of 42,3mm since last Thursday, 25 May, up until Monday. On 6 May, 1mm fell, completing their 144mm recorded total.
According to the SAWS, the total for the month compared with the last 30 years' figures indicates a record. The average for May is 37,8mm.
PHOTO GALLERY: Garden Route Dam overflows after record rains in May
A beautiful sight: the Garden Route Dam is full to overflowing. Photo: Alida de Beer
George Municipality Deputy Director Civil Engineering Services Lindsay Mooiman said this is the second time since the raising of the spillway was completed in December 2019 that the dam overflows. She warned, however, that water is a scarce resource, and a full dam is no reason for complacency.
"While the full storage volume can provide supply in excess of 300 days, we cannot predict the rainfall, and especially not with the lowest rainfall months ahead. We are heading into the lowest average rainfall months - July, August and September."
Mooiman warned that the dam level in December 2022 stood at 47%. She also said the 161mm measured by the municipality for May is much higher than the annual average for May of 66mm (as measured at the purification works).
The municipality has previously said that there is pressure on the purification works due to load-shedding. On top of that, the population is growing fast as a result of the influx from other parts of the country.
VIDEOS: Garden Route Dam early Monday, 30 May. Alida de Beer
Weather experts say the El Niño oceanographic phenomenon is forecast to return in June after three years of La Niña. This will impact Southern Africa by bringing drier conditions in the latter part of the year.
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