Drive carefully! More cold, wind and rain in store for Western Cape

Disaster management teams are on high alert after gale-force winds buffeted the Western Cape accompanied by heavy rain overnight — and more cold weather is in store.

Cold and rainy weather is expected in the province over the next four days.

The department of local government, environmental affairs and development planning said on Wednesday there were no reports of injuries, evacuations or road closures in Cape Town. However, several areas in the province had reported storm damage.

The SA Weather Service issued a warning on Tuesday for gale-force winds with gusts of up to 100km/h. Strong winds have caused damage to some homes and infrastructure along the Garden Route.

The department said in a statement that several houses and structures were damaged and there were multiple reports of roofs blown off in Sedgefield, George and Mossel Bay, and structural damage reported as far afield as Oudtshoorn and Hessequa.

Across the same region there were reports of power outages and numerous trees blown over. There were no reports of injuries, evacuations or road closures.

Local government, environmental affairs and development planning MEC Anton Bredell said conditions were expected to remain cold and wet for most of the province until Sunday.

“Road users should be aware of rubble and trees that may be lying in roads across the province and are urged to drive slowly and carefully over the next few days. Municipalities will continue with mopping up operations during the rest of the week.”

“In the City of Cape Town, no major incidents have been reported overnight beyond some additional flooding challenges due to continued rainfall. The city didn’t get the gale-force wind seen elsewhere in the province. The city continues to assist affected communities with mopping up operations, supported by Sassa.”

In the event of emergency, members of the public are urged to contact the emergency services or toll-free number, 112.

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