On Tuesday afternoon, social media reports claimed a tornado touched down in parts of Bloemfontein, with videos showing roofs blown off and vehicles damaged. Weather analyst Juandre Vorster suggests it could have been a downdraft displacement rather than a full tornado. This is not the first mini‑tornado event in the Free State – a 2019 incident uprooted trees, damaged power lines and farming equipment. Damage was also noted in nearby Petrusburg and Koffiefontein as a thunderstorm band moved eastward across central South Africa.