For the second time this year: Tsauchab reaches Sossusvlei

Namibia has been receiving very heavy rain throughout the country since the end of last week. Many riviers (dry rivers) have turned into raging torrents. The Tsauchab reached Sossusvlei for the second time this year. It had already filled the clay pan in the heart of the Namib Desert with water at the beginning of January.

The Swakop also flowed strongly and reached Guanikontes on Saturday, about 40 kilometres from its mouth at Swakopmund. Floodwaters from the Kuiseb passed the Gobabeb Desert Research Station, which is around 95 kilometres from Walvis Bay. Many reservoirs in the centre and south of Namibia received inflows.

Drivers had to wait for hours at some rivers for the water level to drop before they could cross the river. Many roads are heavily washed out in some places, so drivers have to drive carefully. Several railway lines in the south and west of the country need to be repaired due to flood damage.

The Kunene River on Namibia's northern border is very swollen. Videos of the violently rushing waterfalls near Epupa are circulating on social media. The Okavango in the north-east of the country already burst its banks in some places a fortnight ago.

Namibia is green wherever you look. Rain has been falling from time to time for weeks, after it had remained largely dry throughout January. At the turn of the year, it rained heavily in the north and south of Namibia. The country had previously suffered from a severe drought.

More recent photos and videos of the recent rainfall in Namibia can be found on the Facebook groups 'Reën In Namibia' and 'Namibië Reën / Weer'.

Sven-Eric Stender