NEWS
Average rainfall
in Gauteng
P
erhaps because last
summer was excep-
tionally wet in
Gautengthis season, to mid-
January anyway, seems
exceptionally dry.
In reality, however, it is
distinctly average.
As measured in Bredell on
the East Rand, by mid-
January 2017 Gauteng had
received 675mm of rainfall
from the start of the rainy
season in 2016. That was far
and away the most received
over the same period in the
past six years. Over the same
period to mid-January this
year the rainfall was mea-
sured as 459mm. In reality
this is the fourth highest
figure for the past six years,
2013 and 2014 having also
been wetter at 529mm and
500mm respectively.
One of the factors which may
lead one to believe the
season is dry is the frequency
with which we experience
wet weather, for the rain
events have been few and far
between, but quite heavy
when they come.
This is a definite change to
the pattern in Gauteng a few
decades ago, when rainfall
seemed to fall more fre-
quently, but in less volume
per event.
SNAKE
Close-up showing the large lateral fang of the Stiletto Snake.
Picture copyright Johan Marais
F rom page 7
days to see how extensive
person catching it will get
bitten once or twice.
Stiletto venom is potently
cytotoxic, causing immediate
pain, swelling, blistering and
in many cases severe tissue
damage that may result in a
digit or two being ampu-
tated. It is an extremely
painful and destructive bite
but is not considered
potentially lethal. There is no
antivenom for this snake's
venom and doctors can only
treat for pain and wait a few
8
www.sasmallholder.co.za
the tissue damage is.
The Stiletto snake is absent
from the Western Cape, most
of the Eastern Cape and most
of Namaqualand but
common in KwaZulu Natal,
Gauteng, Mpumalanga and
Limpopo as well as much of
Northwest, entering
Zimbabwe, Botswana and
northern Namibia.
For more information:
African Snakebite Institute,
tel 073 186 9176