Capetonians have been warned to wrap up warmly this weekend, after heavy rain and strong winds damaged the homes of more than 1 000 Khayelitsha residents, and contributed to several traffic incidents.
More rain and low temperatures are expected on Saturday and Sunday.
High seas are predicted and city officials have urged people to stay away from the beaches, and to take extra care on the roads this weekend.
The Cape Town Weather Office said
on Friday a cold front had moved in from the south-west of the Peninsula, making landfall on Thursday night, bringing heavy downpours and a threat of flooding.
“Rainfall reaching and exceeding 50mm within a 24-hour period” had been expected, well above the 26mm measured at Kirstenbosch on Friday.
Strong-to-gale-force winds of 57-74km/h were measured along the West Coast and interior south of Langebaan.
The Weather Office also warned of rough seas south of Cape Point, with waves as high as 5m.
City traffic spokeswoman Maxine Jordaan said a truck had jack-knifed on Hospital Bend early yesterday causing a diesel spill and a major traffic jam. The road was cleared by midday.
She said a few rocks had fallen on De Waal Drive, leading to the closure of the left lane of the incoming carriageway, just before Roeland Street.
Meanwhile, city authorities said about 1 100 people in informal settlements in Khayelitsha had been affected by the rain.
Disaster Risk Management spokeswoman Mandy Thomas said officials had recorded damage to 220 structures, but no one had been evacuated.
The worst-affected areas included UT Section, YA Section and WB Section, all in Site B, and DTI Section in Site C.
She said NGOs had been asked to help distribute hot food and blankets.
Mayoral committee member for Safety and Security JP Smith advised people to stay away from the beachfront and to be very careful on the roads.
“We generally notice an increase in the number of road accidents during wet weather. I appeal to residents to ensure that they have measures in place to keep water from ponding on or around their properties. If they spot any potential risks, they should alert us immediately,” he said.
Mayoral committee member for Human Settlements Benedicta van Minnen said where localised flooding occurred, communities in informal areas should call their informal settlements management team to ask for sand to raise floor levels, and to keep out the water.
Today’s weather predictions are that the rain will spread to the West Coast, Overberg and the Breede River Valley districts, and to the Eden districts and the Central and Little Karoo.
The Weather Office said the rain would begin clearing from the west during the course of the morning.
Temperatures were expected to remain on the cold side, with a slight possibility of a light dusting of snow over the mountainous areas of the Boland early on Saturday.
Tomorrow, a weak cold front is expected to touch the south during the afternoon. It may result in light rain on the south coast and the interior on Sunday evening, the forecasters said.
Saturday Argus