Cape Town – Continuous heavy rains coupled with cold fronts which started late on Sunday have caused flooding and structural damage in some parts of the Western Cape.
Reports said informal settlements were among areas that were hard hit by the floods along with some intersections, a development that resulted in traffic delays on some major roads.
South African Weather Services (SAWS) warned on Monday that the cold front and rain in the western parts of the Western Cape were expected to persist until Wednesday.
“Continuous rain and scattered to widespread rain showers are expected to persist from Monday into Wednesday. Flooding is expected today over south-western parts of the Western Cape. Very cold conditions, wet and windy conditions are expected to set in on the southern half of Northern Cape, spreading to the southern Free State overnight on Tuesday. Such conditions are known to cause hazards to small stock farmers,” warned SAWS.
Cape Town – Somerset West: #Flooding on multiple routes #CapeStorm pic.twitter.com/WUzPeD3HUu
— TrafficSA (@TrafficSA) June 13, 2022
According to the City of Cape Town’s Disaster Management spokesperson, Charlotte Powell, the City was assisting in informal settlements where structural damage had been caused while traffic personnel was working on clearing traffic jams.
“Homes were flooded in First Avenue, Ravensmead, where a retention pond overflowed. In Freedom Park, Ottery, the roofs of temporary structures collapsed due to heavy rainfall. Many roadways across the city have been flooded, and [the transport directorate] is clearing roadways,” News24 quoted Powell as saying.
The City was also working on restoring electricity in areas such as Mitchells Plain, Mowbray, Claremont and Hout Bay where severe weather conditions had caused power outages, reported IOL.
Localised flooding on the R44 near the Mooiberge Farmstall between Stellenbosch and Somerset West. Please switch on your headlights, maintain a safe following distance and drive carefully. pic.twitter.com/GJdRuCGihU
— Stellenbosch Municipality ? (@StellMun) June 13, 2022
Stellenbosch Municipality urged motorists to keep a safe following distance and be vigilant when driving in flooded areas.
“Localised flooding on the R44 near the Mooiberge Farmstall between Stellenbosch and Somerset West. Emergency Teams have been dispatched. Our Disaster Management Teams are on standby to assist residents who could be affected by the strong winds and possible localised flooding,” The Citizen quoted Stellenbosch Municipality as saying.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
