Environmental Affairs quells SAWS credibility reports
The Department of Environmental Affairs has come to the South African Weather Service's defence, saying the bureau is reliable and capable of issuing severe weather warnings in advance.
The department says it's aware the service's competence came under the spotlight after devastating floods in KZN and the Eastern Cape recently.
It's been commenting after allocating R100 million to the service for the next three years, which will be used towards technology upgrades.
"There has been newspaper reports that allege that the Weather Service had been found wanting and we sort to dispel those particular misrepresentations of facts," says the department's Albi Modise.
READ: Zikalala warns of potential flooding in KZN this weekend
"The Weather Service remains the authority. The aviation industry depends on the Weather Service when planes take off.
"Our farmers depend on the information from the Weather Service. Insurance companies get information from the Weather Service before they can alert their clients of any hail storms or any weather patterns.
"So, therefore, it is important that we have a Weather Service that is at the cutting edge of technology when it comes to weather information."
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