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5 July 2024
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Thousands left homeless in Western Cape as gale-force winds and torrential rain wreak havoc
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Communities in the Western Cape are facing a severe weather crisis as multiple cold fronts bring icy weather, disruptive rain and damaging winds, causing widespread displacement. And five more major cold fronts are expected over the next week. About 4 000 people who had been left homeless in Khayelitsha after gale-force winds destroyed more than a thousand informal structures on Thursday, 4 July 2024, were lashed by a new series of cold fronts on Sunday. And the severe winter weather is expected to continue through the week.
Western Cape communities are buckling under heavy rain and damaging, gale-force winds, as well as plummeting temperatures, with snow falling over the Boland and Koue Bokkeveld mountains and up into the Karoo.
The latest series of cold fronts, which started in the early hours of Sunday, 7 July, are forecast to continue throughout the week.
On Sunday afternoon, heavy seas combined with the new moon spring high tide hammered the Atlantic coastline.
The South African Weather Service (Saws) had already adjusted its warning for damaging winds from Level 6 to Level 8 for Sunday, and warned of expected widespread structural damage to informal and formal settlements.
Sunday’s series of cold fronts resulted in gale-force westerly to northwesterly winds of 70–90km/h, gusting up to 120km/h over the City of Cape Town and the Drakenstein, Stellenbosch, Overstrand and Theewaterskloof municipalities.
Weather warnings in place
Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government and the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) reported on Sunday that “at this stage, Ward 99 in Khayelitsha is our priority, as close to 1 000 structures were destroyed by strong winds on Thursday, leaving close to 4 000 people without shelter for the current cold and wet conditions. Humanitarian aid including hot meals, blankets and other support is being offered.”
According to SAWS, several warnings for severe weather remain on track for the coming week, including a Level 6 warning for waves along the coast between Cape Columbine and Cape Agulhas from Sunday, spreading to Plettenberg Bay and a Level 6 warning for snowfalls over the mountains of the Western Cape as well as southern high ground of the Namaqua District.
The Department of Water and Sanitation said while dam levels are not yet reflecting significant inflows from the weekend rains, this will change as runoff starts filling the dams.
“Wemmershoek Dam, managed by the City of Cape Town, is currently at 77.8 percent and controlled release of water into the Berg River will be managed carefully only once the dam levels approach 100 percent,” the department said.
Bredell cautioned against circulating false social media posts about the Wemmershoek Dam’s current level as these were causing anxiety among people living downstream.
“Please refrain from spreading inaccurate information, as it might cause unnecessary panic, and it distracts disaster management services from attending to the critical risks at hand especially humanitarian and disaster aid,” Minister Bredell said.
The major concern at the moment is setting up temporary accommodation for the 4 000-plus people displaced in Khayelitsha, said Ali Sablay, operations manager at humanitarian NGO Gift of the Givers. “Some of them are sleeping out in the open and with the weather warnings coming that can be destructive for these families,” he said.
The NGO has deployed additional supplies of blankets, warm clothing and beanies. “In Ward 99, there were still two elderly people’s wheelchairs badly damaged by the storms and we’ve replaced them,” he said.
Sablay said the NGO has been inundated with calls for help, and it has dispatched a team to Makhaza, an informal settlement in Khayelitsha, where close to 300 people have been affected by the rain. “Calls are streaming through from Kanana informal settlement, Barcelona informal settlement, Gugulethu, Kraaifontein and Sir Lowry’s Pass Village near Strand. We are receiving calls from all the informal settlements around the Western Cape. We just received images from Nomzamo and it looks like total carnage on that side,” he said.
Teams on the ground are currently assessing the situation and will render humanitarian assistance to all the victims.
“We know that the weather warning stretches as far as the Garden Route, Central Karoo and Klein Karoo. We have a team on standby on that side as well to render any humanitarian assistance if need be,” Sablay said.
The weather warnings indicate that there will be five major cold fronts slamming into the Western Cape this coming week, and Sablay said Gift of the Givers will be on standby to assist all local municipalities as far as Drakenstein, Witzenberg and Breede Valley.
“Some municipalities have asked for assistance with sandbags and black sheeting so people could cover the roofs and prevent the structures being flooded. We will be there for the next few days to assist community members affected by the current storms and those that are predicted for the coming week,” he said.
Road closures, line faults reported and high fire danger
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde appealed to residents to avoid unnecessary travel during the inclement weather. Some roads were closed in Cape Town due to flooding, including 35th Street and Owen Road, Elsies River; FW de Klerk Boulevard outbound at Marine Drive; Beach and Coronation roads, Maitland; Belrail Road before Adam Tas Street, Bellville; NY3A at Nyanga train station; and Manenberg Avenue and Thames Walk, Manenberg.
Premier Winde urged motorists “to please be vigilant, proceed with caution and obey the speed limit, and to drive with their headlights on at all times, so they are visible to other road users”.
Meanwhile, Eskom reported line faults affecting Tulbagh, Rawsonville, Hex River Valley and Belhar in the City of Cape Town. The faults have all been isolated and teams are working on restoring connectivity in the areas.
SAWS also highlighted the additional fire danger for the Garden Route District, which will be exacerbated by the strong winds in the coming days.
Caution urged
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) appealed to bathers, boaters, paddlers and shoreline anglers to exercise caution around the coastline.
Spokesperson Craig Lambinon said, “The concern is that during this, the final weekend of school holidays, the coastline will be experiencing the new moon spring tide during a time where sea conditions are naturally rougher than normal because of winter storms and cold fronts passing over parts of the coastline and deep sea off the South African coastline.”
In social media posts on Saturday, Premier Winde urged residents to be vigilant and shared information about whom to call in an emergency. “We are expecting more severe weather than initially anticipated. Please stay indoors as far as possible, follow trusted sources for information and avoid spreading fake news. Our provincial departments are represented at our Disaster Management Centre, and we will offer support, if necessary,” Premier Winde said.
Update: Monday, 8 July 2024
The Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) received reports from the various districts as well as Western Cape Government (WCG) departments earlier today after the first of several intense cold fronts made landfall over the past weekend. “Widespread disruptions and damages including loss of shelter in informal settlements, localised flooding, fallen trees, electricity outages, and road closures due to snow or flooding, were reported during our meeting today. The City of Cape Town, Overberg, Cape Winelands, and West Coast Districts were hardest hit by the severe weather. As always, our focus remains on the safety of our residents and the humanitarian support that they need,” Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning said.
Minister Bredell said the Provincial Government is working together with the City of Cape Town and the National Department of Human Settlements to address the immediate needs of people who have lost their homes during the storms.
Significant rainfall has been recorded for the period between Sunday and Monday: Ceres receiving 123mm and Elgin Grabouw received 84mm. Observatory in Cape Town recorded 47mm, and Stellenbosch measured 68mm for the same period.
The South African Weather Services (SAWS) provided an update on what can be expected from today until Friday. A series of cold fronts are still on track to make landfall, resulting in a week of wet and cold conditions. Today will see the coldest daytime temperatures, and the next cold front with rain is expected to arrive on Tuesday. Between 10 and 20mm of rain is expected over the western parts, and between 40 and 60mm can be expected over the southern western mountains. “We are concerned about the rain-on-rain scenario, as saturated soil could lead to rock falls, landslides and flash floods,” Minister Bredell said.
Premier Alan Winde added, “I want to commend all stakeholders who have been ably coordinated through the PDMC for all their hard work in responding to the severe weather. We have built up capacity across our disaster management system to deal with such events, prioritising the protection of lives and ongoing humanitarian relief efforts.”
SAWS confirmed its outlook for strong to gale force west to north-westerly winds for the south-west coast and emphasised the high danger of runaway wildfires in the Garden Route District.
The Department of Water and Sanitation continues to monitor river and dam levels, which are expected to rise significantly in the coming week.
The PDMC will support several search and rescue operations to communities currently cut of from main access roads. “Wuppertal and other communities in the Cederberg area will be reached by specialised 4x4 teams once a needs assessment has been conducted, and we will be ready for similar requests as the week unfolds,” Minister Bredell said.
Eskom reported several outages over the past 48 hours caused by the severe weather. Cape Town, the West Coast and Overberg regions were hardest hit so far, and repair teams are attending to them as fast as possible. The PDMC is monitoring this situation if it impacts on critical government services.
Those wishing to donate funds for the Gift of the Givers disaster relief operation in the Western Cape can call the toll-free number 080 078 6911 or visit its website.
Source: Daily Maverick, Western Cape Government
Western Cape communities are buckling under heavy rain and damaging, gale-force winds, as well as plummeting temperatures, with snow falling over the Boland and Koue Bokkeveld mountains and up into the Karoo.
The latest series of cold fronts, which started in the early hours of Sunday, 7 July, are forecast to continue throughout the week.
On Sunday afternoon, heavy seas combined with the new moon spring high tide hammered the Atlantic coastline.
The South African Weather Service (Saws) had already adjusted its warning for damaging winds from Level 6 to Level 8 for Sunday, and warned of expected widespread structural damage to informal and formal settlements.
Sunday’s series of cold fronts resulted in gale-force westerly to northwesterly winds of 70–90km/h, gusting up to 120km/h over the City of Cape Town and the Drakenstein, Stellenbosch, Overstrand and Theewaterskloof municipalities.
Weather warnings in place
Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government and the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) reported on Sunday that “at this stage, Ward 99 in Khayelitsha is our priority, as close to 1 000 structures were destroyed by strong winds on Thursday, leaving close to 4 000 people without shelter for the current cold and wet conditions. Humanitarian aid including hot meals, blankets and other support is being offered.”
According to SAWS, several warnings for severe weather remain on track for the coming week, including a Level 6 warning for waves along the coast between Cape Columbine and Cape Agulhas from Sunday, spreading to Plettenberg Bay and a Level 6 warning for snowfalls over the mountains of the Western Cape as well as southern high ground of the Namaqua District.
The Department of Water and Sanitation said while dam levels are not yet reflecting significant inflows from the weekend rains, this will change as runoff starts filling the dams.
“Wemmershoek Dam, managed by the City of Cape Town, is currently at 77.8 percent and controlled release of water into the Berg River will be managed carefully only once the dam levels approach 100 percent,” the department said.
Bredell cautioned against circulating false social media posts about the Wemmershoek Dam’s current level as these were causing anxiety among people living downstream.
“Please refrain from spreading inaccurate information, as it might cause unnecessary panic, and it distracts disaster management services from attending to the critical risks at hand especially humanitarian and disaster aid,” Minister Bredell said.
The major concern at the moment is setting up temporary accommodation for the 4 000-plus people displaced in Khayelitsha, said Ali Sablay, operations manager at humanitarian NGO Gift of the Givers. “Some of them are sleeping out in the open and with the weather warnings coming that can be destructive for these families,” he said.
The NGO has deployed additional supplies of blankets, warm clothing and beanies. “In Ward 99, there were still two elderly people’s wheelchairs badly damaged by the storms and we’ve replaced them,” he said.
Sablay said the NGO has been inundated with calls for help, and it has dispatched a team to Makhaza, an informal settlement in Khayelitsha, where close to 300 people have been affected by the rain. “Calls are streaming through from Kanana informal settlement, Barcelona informal settlement, Gugulethu, Kraaifontein and Sir Lowry’s Pass Village near Strand. We are receiving calls from all the informal settlements around the Western Cape. We just received images from Nomzamo and it looks like total carnage on that side,” he said.
Teams on the ground are currently assessing the situation and will render humanitarian assistance to all the victims.
“We know that the weather warning stretches as far as the Garden Route, Central Karoo and Klein Karoo. We have a team on standby on that side as well to render any humanitarian assistance if need be,” Sablay said.
The weather warnings indicate that there will be five major cold fronts slamming into the Western Cape this coming week, and Sablay said Gift of the Givers will be on standby to assist all local municipalities as far as Drakenstein, Witzenberg and Breede Valley.
“Some municipalities have asked for assistance with sandbags and black sheeting so people could cover the roofs and prevent the structures being flooded. We will be there for the next few days to assist community members affected by the current storms and those that are predicted for the coming week,” he said.
Road closures, line faults reported and high fire danger
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde appealed to residents to avoid unnecessary travel during the inclement weather. Some roads were closed in Cape Town due to flooding, including 35th Street and Owen Road, Elsies River; FW de Klerk Boulevard outbound at Marine Drive; Beach and Coronation roads, Maitland; Belrail Road before Adam Tas Street, Bellville; NY3A at Nyanga train station; and Manenberg Avenue and Thames Walk, Manenberg.
Premier Winde urged motorists “to please be vigilant, proceed with caution and obey the speed limit, and to drive with their headlights on at all times, so they are visible to other road users”.
Meanwhile, Eskom reported line faults affecting Tulbagh, Rawsonville, Hex River Valley and Belhar in the City of Cape Town. The faults have all been isolated and teams are working on restoring connectivity in the areas.
SAWS also highlighted the additional fire danger for the Garden Route District, which will be exacerbated by the strong winds in the coming days.
Caution urged
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) appealed to bathers, boaters, paddlers and shoreline anglers to exercise caution around the coastline.
Spokesperson Craig Lambinon said, “The concern is that during this, the final weekend of school holidays, the coastline will be experiencing the new moon spring tide during a time where sea conditions are naturally rougher than normal because of winter storms and cold fronts passing over parts of the coastline and deep sea off the South African coastline.”
In social media posts on Saturday, Premier Winde urged residents to be vigilant and shared information about whom to call in an emergency. “We are expecting more severe weather than initially anticipated. Please stay indoors as far as possible, follow trusted sources for information and avoid spreading fake news. Our provincial departments are represented at our Disaster Management Centre, and we will offer support, if necessary,” Premier Winde said.
Update: Monday, 8 July 2024
The Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) received reports from the various districts as well as Western Cape Government (WCG) departments earlier today after the first of several intense cold fronts made landfall over the past weekend. “Widespread disruptions and damages including loss of shelter in informal settlements, localised flooding, fallen trees, electricity outages, and road closures due to snow or flooding, were reported during our meeting today. The City of Cape Town, Overberg, Cape Winelands, and West Coast Districts were hardest hit by the severe weather. As always, our focus remains on the safety of our residents and the humanitarian support that they need,” Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning said.
Minister Bredell said the Provincial Government is working together with the City of Cape Town and the National Department of Human Settlements to address the immediate needs of people who have lost their homes during the storms.
Significant rainfall has been recorded for the period between Sunday and Monday: Ceres receiving 123mm and Elgin Grabouw received 84mm. Observatory in Cape Town recorded 47mm, and Stellenbosch measured 68mm for the same period.
The South African Weather Services (SAWS) provided an update on what can be expected from today until Friday. A series of cold fronts are still on track to make landfall, resulting in a week of wet and cold conditions. Today will see the coldest daytime temperatures, and the next cold front with rain is expected to arrive on Tuesday. Between 10 and 20mm of rain is expected over the western parts, and between 40 and 60mm can be expected over the southern western mountains. “We are concerned about the rain-on-rain scenario, as saturated soil could lead to rock falls, landslides and flash floods,” Minister Bredell said.
Premier Alan Winde added, “I want to commend all stakeholders who have been ably coordinated through the PDMC for all their hard work in responding to the severe weather. We have built up capacity across our disaster management system to deal with such events, prioritising the protection of lives and ongoing humanitarian relief efforts.”
SAWS confirmed its outlook for strong to gale force west to north-westerly winds for the south-west coast and emphasised the high danger of runaway wildfires in the Garden Route District.
The Department of Water and Sanitation continues to monitor river and dam levels, which are expected to rise significantly in the coming week.
The PDMC will support several search and rescue operations to communities currently cut of from main access roads. “Wuppertal and other communities in the Cederberg area will be reached by specialised 4x4 teams once a needs assessment has been conducted, and we will be ready for similar requests as the week unfolds,” Minister Bredell said.
Eskom reported several outages over the past 48 hours caused by the severe weather. Cape Town, the West Coast and Overberg regions were hardest hit so far, and repair teams are attending to them as fast as possible. The PDMC is monitoring this situation if it impacts on critical government services.
Those wishing to donate funds for the Gift of the Givers disaster relief operation in the Western Cape can call the toll-free number 080 078 6911 or visit its website.
Source: Daily Maverick, Western Cape Government
