Average dam levels across the country have increased slightly and are up 0.6 percentage points compared to last year, the Department of Water and Sanitation said on Wednesday.

The dam levels had risen to 55.56%, compared to 54.9% at the same time last year, spokesperson Mlimandlela Ndamase said.

There was still a very long road to recovery and South Africans faced the possibility of a difficult winter.

Average dam levels in each province are:

-Free State 57.2%

-Gauteng 86.7%

-KwaZulu-Natal 47.1%

-Limpopo 66.1%

-Mpumalanga 67.8%

-Northern Cape 93.6%

-North West 73.8%

-Western Cape 36.2%

Of the 211 dams being monitored, 19 are below 10% capacity, 46 are between 10% and 40%, and 39 are above 100%.

Dam measurements would be taken again on Monday, February 13.