Durban - A storm warning was Tuesday issued in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province amid forecasts of further "ferocious storms" by as early as Friday, officials said.

Eighteen people were killed in a severe storm that struck the east coast province over the weekend, leaving what officials said was a "trail of destruction in its path."

"People need to now gear themselves up ... store extra canned food so that when it happens, you are not left high and dry," KwaZulu- Natal premier Sbu Ndebele told journalists.

Officials said they had been informed Tuesday of "more freak storms" in the aftermath of the storm at the weekend that affected 12,736 people and caused damage amounting to around 108 million rands (11 million dollars).

"The province is still picking up the pieces and tallying the costs," said Ndebele said, adding, "We must understand that this is quite a lot of devastation on top of the poverty that already exists."

The storm at the weekend wreaked havoc in the province, hitting the municipalities of uMgungundlovu, eThekwini, iLembe and Sisonke, where trees were uprooted, roofs caved in and walls collapsed.

Residents and officials said it was the worst they had ever seen. (dpa)