Google’s 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.
The warning applies to Mpumalanga and Limpopo, as well as parts of southern Mozambique and Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and Botswana’s Central District.
Within the park, an “extreme risk” alert, Google Flood Hub’s highest warning level, has been issued for the Sabie River and surrounding areas.
Rare event warning for this weekend
According to Google’s forecast, 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.
The warning is for 11 January and is predicted to end a minimum of 4 days from the start date.
According to Tourism Update, South African National Parks (SANParks) acting head of communications, Reynold Thakhuli, urged visitors to exercise caution, particularly when travelling within the park.
“We further advise tourists to phone the camps they are planning to stay at ahead of time to enquire about accessibility and weather conditions,” Thakhuli said.
Thakhuli added that the park’s Disaster Management Team is on standby and that SANParks will continue to monitor conditions closely.
“We will be issuing daily updates on all our platforms,” he said.
The warning follows a month of heavy rainfall in December 2025, which resulted in widespread closures of gravel roads inside the park and rendered several low-water bridges unsafe to cross.
What is Google’s Flood Hub?
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.
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.
The system is part of Google’s broader Flood Forecasting Initiative, 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.
Flood Hub forecasts focus primarily on riverine flooding, not coastal storm surge or flash flooding from sudden cloudbursts. While it does not replace official meteorological or disaster management agencies, it is designed to complement government warnings by providing earlier and more localised risk assessments.
In the Kruger National Park case, Google’s “extreme risk” warning reflects projected river levels that significantly exceed historical norms, a signal that authorities and the public should prepare for potentially severe flooding.
