Google\u2019s Flood Hub has issued a warning for what it describes as a likely extensive and rare flood event affecting the Kruger National Park (KNP) and surrounding areas, with water levels forecast to reach their highest point in nearly 50 years.<\/p>\n
The warning applies to Mpumalanga and Limpopo, as well as parts of southern Mozambique and Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and Botswana\u2019s Central District. <\/p>\n
Within the park, an \u201cextreme risk\u201d alert, Google Flood Hub\u2019s highest warning level, has been issued for the Sabie River and surrounding areas.<\/p>\n
Rare event warning for this weekend<\/p>\n
According to Google\u2019s forecast<\/a>, water levels along the Sabie River could reach their highest level in 46 years, exceeding those recorded during the severe floods caused by Cyclone Eline in 2000. <\/p>\n The warning is for 11 January and is predicted to end a minimum of 4 days from the start date.<\/p>\n According to Tourism Update<\/a>, South African National Parks (SANParks) acting head of communications, Reynold Thakhuli, urged visitors to exercise caution, particularly when travelling within the park.<\/p>\n \u201cWe further advise tourists to phone the camps they are planning to stay at ahead of time to enquire about accessibility and weather conditions,\u201d Thakhuli said. <\/p>\n Thakhuli added that the park\u2019s Disaster Management Team is on standby and that SANParks will continue to monitor conditions closely. <\/p>\n \u201cWe will be issuing daily updates on all our platforms,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The warning follows a month of heavy rainfall in December 2025<\/a>, which resulted in widespread closures of gravel roads inside the park and rendered several low-water bridges unsafe to cross.<\/p>\n What is Google\u2019s Flood Hub?<\/p>\n Google Flood Hub is a public flood forecasting and warning platform run by Google that uses data, machine learning, and hydrological models to predict flooding and alert people before it happens.<\/p>\n It combines satellite imagery, river gauge data, weather forecasts, terrain information, and AI models to estimate when and where rivers may overflow. It also produces short- to medium-range flood forecasts, typically covering the next several days, and assigns risk levels ranging from low to extreme.<\/p>\n The system is part of Google\u2019s broader Flood Forecasting Initiative<\/a>, launched to improve early warning systems in flood-prone regions, particularly in countries where traditional monitoring infrastructure is limited. When high risk is detected, Google can also surface alerts in Google Search, Maps, and Android notifications, directing users to safety information.<\/p>\n