The first of several cold fronts made landfall last week, leaving thousands without shelter and causing several power outages across the Western Cape.
Also read: Heavy rainfall continues throughout Western Cape, road closures in place
Anton Bredell, Western Cape minister of local government, environmental affairs and development planning, says the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) is currently focusing on Ward 99 in Khayelitsha, where close to 1 000 structures were destroyed by strong winds on Thursday.
Nearly 4 000 people have been left without shelter for the current cold and wet weather conditions. ‘Humanitarian aid including hot meals, blankets and other support is being offered.’
The South African Weather Services (SAWS) also warned of potential fire danger for the Garden Route district which could be exacerbated by the strong winds in the coming days.
These are the severe weather warnings for this week:
- A Level 4 for heavy rain and potential flooding over the western parts of the Western Cape on Sunday.
- A Level 8 warning for high winds of between 80 and 90kph affecting the City of Cape Town, Drakenstein, Stellenbosch and the western Overberg region.
- A level 4 warning for winds of between 50 and 70kph for the Namakwa district and the central and eastern parts of the Western Cape.
- A Level 6 warning for waves along the coastline between Cape Columbine and Cape Agulhas from Sunday, spreading to Plettenberg Bay by the afternoon.
- A Level 6 warning for disruptive snowfall over the mountains of the Western Cape and the southern high ground of the Namakwa District on Sunday and Monday.
Line faults were reported in Tulbagh, Rawsonville, the Hex River Valley and Belhar in the City of Cape Town. According to Eskom, the faults have been isolated and teams are working on restoring connectivity.
Dam levels have not seen significant inflows. However, the Department of Water and Sanitation expects this to change as runoff fills the dams.
As of Sunday, Wemmershoek Dam (managed by the City of Cape Town) stood at 77.8% and the controlled release of water into the Berg River is being monitored.
The Western Cape Government cautioned against spreading false news concerning Wemmershoek Dam’s level. ‘Please refrain from spreading inaccurate information, as it might cause unnecessary panic,’ says Bredell. ‘It distracts disaster management services from attending to the critical risks (…), especially humanitarian and disaster aid.’
Current weather-related road closures reported to the Traffic Control Room are:
- Palomino Street, Jagtershof
- Schotia Street, Loevenstein, tree obstructing the roadway
- Turfhall Road, Manenberg, tree obstructing the roadway
- N1 inbound before M5, the right lane is flooded
- N1 outbound ramp to Jip De Jager – a mudslide has resulted in the left lane being closed
- Vasco Blvd southbound before Voortrekker Road – both lanes are closed
- Jakes Gerwel northbound before Bofors Circle, the right lane is closed
The PDMC continues to monitor the current weather situation as it develops.
‘These weather episodes take a toll on some of our most vulnerable communities, and the City is fortunate to have numerous NGO partners who are ready to assist at a moment’s notice, with meals, food parcels, blankets, personal hygiene items and baby packs, amongst others, to help communities in need,’ says JP Smith, the Cape Town’s Mayco member for safety and security.
‘We also receive numerous requests from the public at large during these incidents, who want to assist in one way or another,’ he adds.
Anyone wishing to donate to general relief efforts can do so by dropping donations off at the following fire stations:
- Sir Lowry’s Pass
- Strand
- Goodwood
- Ottery
- Roeland Street
- Lakeside
Donations can be the following:
- Non-perishable foodstuff
- Personal hygiene items (soap, toothpaste, face cloths, sanitary towels)
- Nappies and baby formula
- Blankets
- Construction materials like wood and corrugated sheeting
Alternatively, donate to Gift of Givers’ efforts via Backabuddy or online at giftofthegivers.org.
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Picture: Gift of the Givers / Facebook