Heavy rains and flooding have killed at least 341 people in South Africa's eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, including the city of Durban, and more rainstorms are forecast in the coming days.

The death toll is expected to rise as scores of people, including whole families, are missing, officials said on Thursday.

The persistent rains have wreaked havoc in the province, destroying homes, collapsing buildings and washing away major roads.

READ MORE: Teenager donates car he saved for years for to flood victim

The damage to Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area is estimated at $52 million, eThekwini Mayor Mxolosi Kaunda said Thursday.

At least 120 schools have been flooded, causing damage estimated at more than $26 million and bringing officials to temporarily close all schools in the province.

At least 18 students and one teacher from various schools have died in the floods, Education Minister Angie Motshekga said.

“This is a catastrophe and the damage is unprecedented. What is even more worrying is that more rain is expected in the same areas that are already affected,” Ms Motshekga said in a statement issued Thursday.

Police used stun grenades to disperse residents in the Reservoir Hills areas of Durban who were protesting what they said was the lack of official assistance, according to South African media reports.

The South African National Defence Force has deployed troops to assist with rescue and mop-up operations.

The floods have knocked out water and electricity to large parts of Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area and it will take at least a week to restore those services, according to officials.

READ MORE: Superyacht owned by Russian oligarch appears in Fiji

President Cyril Ramaphosa is convening an emergency cabinet meeting to declare the floods a national disaster so that funds can be released to help repair the damage. He visited several areas hit by the floods and mudslides on Wednesday.

Fourteen crocodiles that were swept away from a farm in the Tongaat area north of Durban have been recaptured, according to wildlife officials.

Sydney and Melbourne airports were heaving with travellers even before the first flights of the morning, as the Easter long weekend begins.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to take flight today, with one million Australians forecast to get on a plane at some point during the holidays.

At Sydney Airport, there were already lengthy delays before the first flight of the day at 6am, with cabs queueing up outside the departure terminals.

READ MORE: Punters and publicans outraged over Federal Government beer tax

About 80,000 people are expected through the airport today, with 350,000 over the weekend.

Security contractors have warned the problem could even extend beyond Easter, as they struggle to build their numbers up to pre-pandemic levels.

Security staff have been offered $1000 incentives to work all 14 days of the holidays – a move criticised by the union.

In Melbourne, three cancelled Qantas flights this morning due to crew shortages have led to a buildup of passengers for that terminal, but early this morning things were calmer – if still busy – for Virgin and Jetstar.

READ MORE: Four female backpackers killed in horror highway crash

A shortage of baggage handlers means it's not just departing travellers being delayed, with arrivals waiting an hour or more to retrieve their luggage.

Yesterday, a flight from Melbourne to Brisbane took off with no passenger luggage loaded. Performer Rhonda Burchmore was among those on board.

"I've got only what I'm wearing now. I've got medication in that suitcase," she said.

"My suitcases had all my costumes, my whole show in those suitcases."

Qantas said it would work to deliver that baggage to the passengers today.

In Queensland, meanwhile, thousands are hitting the road for the holidays, prompting a warning from police.

They are urging people to be patient and drive safely to their destination, after bumper-to-bumper traffic leaving Brisbane yesterday.

By Jordan Bond of RNZ A shop owner in a central Auckland suburb had a knife pulled on him and his wife in broad daylight on Wednesday by two teenage girls.The assailants told him they would kill him over a hundred dollars worth…

Southern schools have been juggling a “nightmare” as Covid-19 knocks out staff and pupils, but principals believe the holidays may be a saving grace.School has run since February, about the same time the Omicron outbreak breached…

A manhunt is underway after police officers were shot at during a routine vehicle stop in Taupō earlier today.The incident occurred at 2.15am as police stop a vehicle on Pueto Valley Road in Tauhara Forest, Taupō.The…

A car passenger has died after a driver fled police and crashed.At 10.07pm, a suspicious vehicle stopped on Clevedon Rd, Papakura. When police stopped to make inquiries with the driver, the vehicle accelerated away.No pursuit…