Litulu Lematje eNingizimu Afrika

© Richard Wheeler
Kufana nelitulu, litulu lematje yindlela yemanti lakheke abangematje lehlela emhlabatsini futsi angangetetela ebukhoneni bemanti endzaweni yekulimela, kepha angaphindze ente kulimala kunhlanyelo lekhulako, ikakhulu kumbhande ematje ase Ningizimu Afrika.

Yini Litulu Lematje?

Litulu lematje ngemabhola noma emaphisi e ayisi lasuka ku 3 mm kuya kulokuningi kuna 50 mm ngebukhulu. Ngendzaba yekwakheka kwematje lalitulu kuvame kutsi kudzingeke emafu lanalokwakhekile lokucinile, litulu lematje livame kuhlanganyela nesangcotfo selitulu. Sangcotfo selitulu sivame kutsatsa imizuzu lelishumi nesihlanu futsi sivame kwenteka nasekuyophela limvakwemadini.
iNingizimu Afrika itayelekile kutangcotfo letimbadlwana, njengoba ibekeke emigceni-lesemkhatsini – indzawo lenesimo selitulu lesisemkhatsini wema degrees lamashumi lamatsatfu kuya kumashumi lasitfupha enyakatfo nase ningizimu yemlayini noma umugca losemkhatsini.

Akheka Njani Ematje?

Litulu lematje lidzinga kuhlangana lokucinile, iayisi ye nuclei leningi kanye nemanti labandza-kakhulu kuze yakheke. Kumatje lamancane kuze akhe inkhungu lengaba ngu 35 kuya ku 55 ngema km ngelihora kuyadzingeka. Ematje lamakhulu, linani lemabhola egaluva, 40 mm ngebududla, tinkhungu letingaba ngu 90 km ngelihora kuyakheka.
Ematje esangcotfo acala kwakheka etinhlavini tematfonsi elitulu lafrizile lamancane noma ku ayisi yetintfo letitsambile letatiwa nge graupel – tintfo leticinile tafulawa. Kuze lamatfonsi elitulu lacinile noma igraupel kutsi ikhule ibe ngematje esangcotfo laliciniso, kumele akhe iayisi leyengetekile, kusebenta lokubitwa nge accretion. Kuze kwenteke njalo, lamatje lasakhula kumele acitse sikhatsi emafini lanemanti labandzako kakhulu lavutsiwe lapho khona simo selitulu singaphansi kwa 0°C.
Ematje elitulu ehla njengemuphumela walokukhulile kwaba linani lelingakhoni kubaleka ngetinhlayiya tesangcotfo senkungu lesetulu, noma angabambeka kunkhungu lephansi bese agoceka ngendlela yemhlaba. Ematje emvula lamakhulu ehla ngelitubane lelingetulu kwa 160 km ngelihora. Liningi lematje elitulu kumbe angancibilika ngaphambi afike emhlabatsini noma ephuke kulesangcotfo lesilwako.

Tindzawo Tematje Elitulu eNingizimu Afrika

©RE Schultze
Umlimi akukameli ajabule kakhulu ngekulima endzaweni lenetimvula tematje letipphansi letentekako njengoba lesisindvo selitje lemvula linye singenta sisindvo semnotfo lesinemandla ekukhicitweni kwenhlanyelo. Njengekutsi, bakhiciti bemagilebisi elitafula endzaweni yase Waterberg leseSifundzeni saseLimpopo labatfola kubona ‘kuphela’ sinye kuya kutintsatfu timvula tematje ngemnyaka, kufaka emanethi ematje ladulile kwentela kuvala imivini yemagilebisi.
Kuvela kwematje kusetulu endzaweni yase KwaZulu-Natak, tincenye letisenyakatfo nase nshonalanga yase Eastern Cape, enkhabeni yase Free State nase tindzaweni Letiphakeme tase Goli, iFree State lesempuma neMpumalanga kunakuletinye tindzawo letise Ningizimu Afrika.

Emabhande Ematje Emvula eNingizimu Afrika

Kukhona timvula tematje ‘etindzaweni letishisako’ noma ‘emabhande ematje’ eNingizimu Afrika. Leti tindzawo tinetikhatsi letiphakeme tematje emvula kunetindzawo letidvutane.
Lendzawo ye Misgund lese Sigodzini sase Langkloof, yinye yase Ningizimu Afrika yesihlahla lesikhokha titselo lesiwa emacembe njalo ngemnyaka etindzaweni, ngaphansi kwekuniselwa, yindzawo yematje emvula leshisako, lehlupheka ngekulahlekelwa kaningi.
Lelinye libhandle lematje lelikhulu liwelela ngase maweni laseningizimu yeTintsaba tase Winterberg lese Eastern Cape kusuka enyakatfo ye Somerset East kuya enyakatfo ye Fort Beaufort. Balimi beNtsengiso yetintfo letinongotelako labase Sigodzini seMfula iKat dvutane ne Beaufort sebalahlekelwe kakhulu ngenca yetimvula tematje.
eEastern Cape, lenyanga yeNgongoni neyaBhimbidvwane yetimvula tematje ichazeka ngematje lamakhulu, lamakhulu kakhulu kunelicandza lesikhukhukati.
Phindze kubalulekile kwati ngetikhatsi ‘tetimvula tematje’ ngendzawo letsite, ngoba lesigaba salenhlanyelo lapho khona kutovela lemvula yematje kwenteka umehluko lomkhulu kuleto tintfo letilimele. Ngalokubuhlungu, lwati lolucondzene netikhatsi temvula yematje, tindzawo letishisako noma bukhulu bematje emvula angeke sebutsatseke ngemibhalo yelitje lelifike emhlabeni.

Translated by Phindile Malotana