Cape Town’s dams‚ which have levelled off around 56% after rising sharply in June‚ are expected to get a last-gasp July boost starting on Friday.
Heavy downpours‚ accompanied by thunder‚ are expected between 4am and 11am on Friday‚ and next Tuesday is expected to bring up to 30mm of rain.
Rainfall for July has been well below normal‚ with only 93mm so far in Newlands compared to a long-term average of 270mm.
The catchment area for Theewaterskloof dam — Cape Town’s biggest‚ and currently sitting at 42% — has had 47mm compared with a long-term average of 73mm.
August is set to start with a splash‚ though. More than 40mm of rainfall is expected in the first nine days‚ according to one online forecast‚ while another predicts 28mm on Wednesday August 1 alone.
Dam levels are almost back to the 59% at this time in 2015‚ when the first of three unnaturally dry winters began the decline that almost took Cape Town to Day Zero earlier in 2018.
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