150624. Cape Town. A man is seen walking in Sea Point Main road covered in plastics to protect him from the wet and cold weather. Cape Town is experiencing very cold and wet conditions. Picture Henk Kruger/CapeArgus 150624. Cape Town. A man is seen walking in Sea Point Main road covered in plastics to protect him from the wet and cold weather. Cape Town is experiencing very cold and wet conditions. Picture Henk Kruger/CapeArgus
Cape Town - Drains flooded, washing over streets and pavements as heavy rains lashed Cape Town on Tuesday night - but there is more harsh weather to come.
In Brackenfell on Tuesday night, a burst pipe only added to residents’ winter woes.
While flooding presages chaos on the roads, those living in low-lying areas - especially in townships - are in the greatest danger. While residents were greeted by clear skies and shimmering puddles on Wednesday morning, the storms are far from over.
The SA Weather Service has issued a warning that a well-developed front is set to move through the Cape until the end of the week, bringing with it strong winds and another downpour.
In an alert, the service said: “(Be) advised that heavy rain leading to localised flooding, very cold conditions with light snowfalls over the mountains, strong interior winds and rough seas can be expected.”
Snow Report, a website that tracks snowfall in South Africa, said there was a chance that many of the Western Cape’s mountains could be dusted with a light layer of snow on Wednesday night.
Western Cape MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Anton Bredell said: “Some of the associated risks during bad weather like this also include mudslides and informal settlement fires, as well as severe cold made worse by… electricity challenges due to potential load shedding.”
Temperatures are set to dip into the single digits in the city on Wednesday night and on Thursday.
Bredell urged motorists and pedestrians to take extra precautions.
“Care should be taken when crossing low-lying bridges, or streams and rivers, as floodwaters may be on the way.”
Last week, over 3 500 people living in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and Strand were affected by flooding.
The city’s mayoral committee member for Human Settlements, Benedicta van Minnen, said: “While the city has done all that it can to mitigate the impact of the winter season, flooding and mudslides may still occur due to variable climatic conditions”.
“Due to the very nature of flooding, this cannot be completely prevented, as rainfall often exceeds the design capacity of the stormwater system.”
Mayco member for Safety and Security JP Smith said flooding was often caused by littering, as drains could quickly become blocked.
“All it takes is one meaningful piece of obstruction in the middle of a stretch of pipe and you have flooding on your hands,” he said.
Safety and Security had focused on cracking down on dumping and littering, Smith said, but so far it had proved to be a losing battle.
The city warned residents in flood-prone areas to take steps, such as raising the floor level of their homes, to reduce the “flooding risk”.
kieran.legg@inl.co.za
Cape Argus