Cape Town braces for severe storm: Heavy rain and flooding expected
Heavy rain and strong winds to batter Cape Town.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
Capetonians are on high alert as two cold fronts crashed into the Mother City on Sunday, with flooding expected to wreak havoc across the metropole.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) warned of heavy rain, strong winds and freezing temperatures from Sunday into Monday.
The SAWS issued an Orange Level 6 warning for damaging winds and waves affecting parts of the Western and Northern Cape from May 10 to 12.
But it was upgraded to a Level 8 warning, with between 200mm and 300mm of rain expected in the Boland region over the next 24 hours.
Damaging winds, reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h, were also forecast.
Authorities also warned of possible flooding in formal and informal settlements, flooded roads and dangerous driving conditions.
According to Disaster Risk Management spokesperson Sonica Lategan, Sunday saw instances of road flooding due to heavy downpours, prompting safety warnings for motorists.
She reported: “We urge motorists to please reduce their speed and increase their following distances, and also to drive with their headlights on so they are more visible to oncoming traffic.”
She, however, warned that worse is still to come adding that the City’s The Disaster Coordinating Team (DCT) is on standby.
Lategan said in a statement: “The first of the two frontal systems has made landfall, but a more powerful system is expected overnight into tomorrow morning.
“The Disaster Coordinating Team (DCT) has been activated to monitor the situation and coordinate the City’s responses.”
A number of schools in the Cape Winelands Education District will be closed on Monday due to adverse weather affecting the province.
Education MEC David Maynier said the decision was taken in the interests of learner and teacher safety, and after extensive consultation with the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and the South African Weather Service (SAWS).
All public ordinary and special needs schools in Circuits 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be closed due to the severe weather warnings in these areas, including Worcester, Ceres, Rawsonville, Tulbagh, and Hex River Valley.
“The affected schools have received official notice of the closure from the Head of Department, and have been requested to communicate the closures to parents,” Maynier said.
In addition, 11 schools in the Eden and Central Karoo Education District will remain closed on Monday, due to the impact of last week’s storm on access to these schools.
“All other schools in the Western Cape will be open unless approval has been granted for closure, which will be done on a case-by-case basis.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis added: “The South African Weather Service has issued a Level 8 warning for heavy rain and winds over Cape Town from Sunday to Tuesday.
Over 150mm of rain is expected over 48 hours.”
“This level of rain and winds will result in significant disruption, flooding, fallen trees, etc.”
City of Cape Town response teams stand ready to respond at any time of the day or night.
For any emergency incidents, the public is encouraged to contact the Public Emergency Communication Centre at 021 480 7700.
Meanwhile, the SABC reported that snow had fallen in the Northern Cape dorpie of Sutherland after other Karoo towns experienced snowfall last week.