Cape Town - With wet and cold weather expected to continue into next week, the City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) teams will remain on standby to attend to emergencies.
On Thursday, the SA Weather Service (SAWS) said Western Cape and Eastern Cape residents should prepare for several cold fronts.
“Brace yourselves as a series of cold fronts approach the country towards the weekend. Temperatures are expected to drop significantly and snow is forecast over the mountains of the Eastern and Western Cape provinces this weekend.”
The DRMC said that during the cold front in Cape Town earlier this week, its designated teams had been attending to various calls across the metro, responding to incidents of windy damage and flooding in some communities.
On Friday morning, City DRMC spokesperson Charlotte Powell said the centre was investigating reports of wind damage and mudslides on Thursday evening.
She said the City cautioned residents to adhere to warnings and take care moving into the second week of severe weather.
Powell’s sentiments were accompanied by further SAWs warnings of inclement weather in the coming days.
The warnings are in place for Sunday, July 7, and Monday, July 8, 2024, and include a yellow level 4 warning for disruptive rainfall on Sunday, as well as orange level 6 warnings for damaging coastal and interior winds, continuing into Monday.
The weather warnings issued by SAWS are as follows:
- A level 4 for heavy rain and potential flooding over the western parts of the Western Cape on Sunday.
- A level 6 warning for high winds of between 80 and 90km/h over the western and south-western parts of the Western Cape on Sunday.
- A level 4 warning for winds of between 50 and 70km/h for the Namakwa district as well as the central and eastern parts of the Western Cape.
- A level 6 warning for waves between 6 and 8 metres along the coastline between Alexander Bay and Cape Agulhas from Sunday, spreading to Plettenberg Bay by the afternoon.
- A level 4 warning for disruptive snowfall over the mountains of the Western Cape as well as southern high ground of the Namakwa District on Sunday.
“Potential impacts include localised flooding of homes and roads, falling debris like tree branches as a result of the strong winds, and power supply interruptions. We advise the public to please take heed of the warnings, and to help reduce the potential risk to their properties,” Powell said.
Homeowners and businesses could help reduce the potential risk to their properties by clearing out drainage systems, raising the floor level of their structures and digging trenches around the house to divert water away.
“Residents can also ensure that their gutters are clear and that all dead tree branches or any other items that could potentially cause obstructions are cleared. Please also be prepared for sudden gusts of wind, and check for any loose items on your property that would need to be secured to prevent damage or potential injuries,” Powell said.
In the event of an emergency, the public can call the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre at 021 480 7700 from a cellphone.
The SAWS has also issued a warning that seagoers, boaters and fishermen may experience difficulty in navigation at sea and may be at risk of taking on water and capsizing in a locality.
“Localised disruptions to small harbours and ports are possible for a short period. Localised disruption to beachfront activities is also likely,” the weather service said.
Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell said the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) is on standby, and the various municipal district disaster centres are ready to be activated if needed.
Emergency, rescue and social services are prepared to respond to any eventualities. Provincial departments are represented at the PDMC and will be ready to provide support if needed.
The Department of Water and Sanitation said catchments and dam levels are being monitored closely and regular updates will be made to the PDMC as the weather systems develop.
Residents are urged to stay warm and safe.
“With the end of the school holidays many people may be travelling home. We ask residents to please be extremely cautious on the roads.
"Due to the combination of high winds, heavy rain, and snow falls over high mountains expected, we urge residents to please reconsider travel and outdoor activities next week and avoid unnecessary travel. Strong winds, combined with rain saturated soil increases the risks for trees and tall structures being toppled,” Bredell cautioned.
"Various government services may be affected by the inclement weather and residents are asked to please stay informed by monitoring the latest weather reports through trusted local news platforms, radio alerts, and your local municipality’s social media pages.
"Services are also being activated to support the vulnerable and those impacted by the inclement weather,” Bredell said.