Two men drown after heavy Windhoek rainstorms

Two drowning incidents have been confirmed by the Windhoek City Police following a heavy rainstorm that struck the southern suburbs of Windhoek on Monday night.“A driver of a white Toyota single-cab was swept away by water at the riverbed in Pelican Street. The body of the driver was later discovered at Gammams Bridge, while the vehicle was found at Acacia Bridge,” said the spokesperson for the City Police, Superintended Marcelline Murapo.She confirmed that the family of the 34-year-old man has been informed of his death. According to Murapo, the second incident involved a man with a hospital bandage around his arm who was reportedly walking on the large pipes near Goreangab Dam.“He is believed to have slipped, fallen into the water, and drowned. His body was later found at the same spot where he fell.”Heavy rainfall in Windhoek and beyondA heavy thunderstorm poured down in the Eros suburb of the capital yesterday afternoon. In the Pionierspark suburb, up to 61 mm was recorded by Tuesday morning, 50 mm in Academia, and 30 mm in Kleine Kuppe.In Tsumeb, up to 50 mm was measured, and 38 mm at Ondundu.On the farm Freihoek near Dordabis, 47 mm was recorded, and on the farm Ombona near Kalkfeld, 46 mm. Okahandja recorded 43 mm, Otavi 15.2 mm, and Waterberg 10 mm.Dam levelsAccording to NamWater’s latest dam bulletin, there was inflow into key dams across the country over the past week. The recent rainfall has significantly contributed to the water levels of the central dams—Swakoppoort, Von Bach, Omatako—and the Omatjenne Dam, providing a much-needed boost to Namibia’s water storage capacity.The Swakoppoort Dam received an inflow of 0.870 million cubic meters, raising its level to 34.9%. This is an improvement compared to last week when the dam was at 33.5%, although it remains lower than the same period last year, when it stood at 40.5%. Meanwhile, the Von Bach Dam saw an inflow of 0.686 million cubic meters, increasing its level to 28.7%. This is a rise from 27.3% the previous week and is significantly higher than last year’s level of 11.4%. Reports received yesterday indicated that more water was still flowing into Von Bach.Similarly, the Omatako Dam experienced an inflow of 1.631 million cubic meters, bringing its level to 28.5%, up from 24.8% last week. This is a substantial improvement compared to last year when the dam level was only 1%. Although the Omatjenne Dam remains at a low level, it has risen to 4.4% following an inflow of 0.081 million cubic meters, an increase from last week’s 2.8%.These positive changes in water levels reflect the ongoing benefits of recent rainfall, offering hope for continued improvements in water supply as the country enters the next phase of its wet season. NamWater remains committed to closely monitoring these key water sources and ensuring a steady water supply to communities.

Two men drown after heavy Windhoek rainstorms

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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Two men drown after heavy Windhoek rainstorms

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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