Windhoek drenched in heavy rain, CBD and surrounding areas submerged

Staff Reporter

AFTER weeks of light rainfall, numerous areas in Windhoek experienced a heavy rain-and-hailstorm yesterday, with some locations recording up to 50 millimetres (mm) of rain within a matter of hours.

Yesterday’s intense thunderstorm resembled the heavy thundershower experienced in December 2022, which left several areas flooded and resulted in an incident where ten homeless children were swept away by heavy rain at a tunnel behind the Game Complex, leading to the unfortunate death of two of them.

Regarding yesterday’s rainstorm, the City of Windhoek confirmed that no reports of injuries or fatalities resulting from the heavy rainfall were received at the Emergency Call Centre. However, the public will be promptly informed if any such cases are discovered.

Similar to the heavy thundershower in 2022, the Central Business District (CBD), including the Wernhil Shopping Centre, experienced significant flooding again yesterday, a few hours after the storm broke out. As of the time of publication, the extent of the damage sustained by the shopping centre remains unconfirmed by Wernhil Management, but it appears that most of the shopping centre’s flooding was limited to the parking lot.

Various other areas in the capital were also notably affected by the thundershowers yesterday. Apart from the CBD, neighbourhoods such as Eros, Klein Windhoek, and Windhoek West were particularly impacted. Photos and videos shared on social media highlighted significant flooding near the Beethoven Apartment Complex in Windhoek West, Eros Primary School, as well as at the United States Embassy and MultiChoice in Klein Windhoek.

Photos and videos shared by Facebook user Johannes Andrin illustrate the significant impact of the Valentine’s Day showers on numerous areas in the capital city. These visuals also show that yesterday’s rainfall revitalized some of the city’s rivers such as the Gammams River.