About This Station

The station is powered by a La Crosse WS2315  weather station. The data is collected every 5 seconds and the site is updated every 10 minutes. This site and its data is collected using Weather Display Software. The station comprises of an anemometer, rain gauge and a thermo-hydro sensor situated in optimal positions for highest accuracy possible.

About This City

Situated on KwaZulu Natal's fertile north coast, Richards Bay started out as a holiday town and has developed into a major port. It is situated on a lagoon in the Mhathuze River and its potential as a great natural harbour were confirmed in 1897 after a detailed survey was carried out.

Originally, the lagoon provided a home for a vast population of aquatic birds, attracted to the area by a rich supply of fish. Crocodiles, sharks and hippos frequented the lagoon, as did hunters and fishermen in search of trophies. A monster crocodile (6.7m) was once shot here.

The area of sheltered water was twice that of Durban's harbour. The mouth was open to the sea and the depth, though only three meters, could be dredged to twenty meters to allow very large vessels to pass. Conservationists objected when development started, and in 1935 the 1,200 hectare lagoon was declared a game reserve, whilst in 1945 the adjacent land was declared Richards Bay Game Reserve.

The town of Richards Bay was laid out alongside this park on the elevated northern slope of the lagoon, overlooking a fine stretch of water. Today Richards Bay is a thriving industrial port with a direct rail connection to the mines for coal and other mining exports. The town was named after Admiral Sir F. W. Richards, a commander of the British Naval Division during the Anglo-Zulu War.

The coastline stretches some three hundred and fifty kilometres from the mouth of the mighty Tugela River in the south to the Mozambique border in the north. The coastal plains include endless unspoilt beaches and coastal conservation areas and incorporate the largest estuarine system in Southern Africa.