Cape Town - The Western Cape will have to brace itself for yet another wet and windy week ahead, the Cape Town Weather Office has cautioned.
A cold front is expected to pass over the province on Wednesday, bringing more rain over the western parts of the province on Wednesday morning and spreading eastwards over the interior by the evening.
“Heavy downpours that might lead to flooding are expected from the morning through to midday over the south-western parts. Significant low freezing levels are expected over the interior of the Western Cape and southern parts of the Northern Cape on Wednesday into Thursday morning due to the passage of a cold front,” said the office.
Snowfall is expected to cover the mountainous areas during the period.
“With the passage of the cold front, strong to gale-force west to south-westerly wind is expected along the south-western and the southern coast as well as south-westerly swells with wave heights of 6.0 to 8.0m between Saldanha Bay and Plettenberg Bay on Wednesday into Thursday.”
Very cold conditions are expected to persist over the Western Cape and Namakwa District (Northern Cape) on Thursday.
A Yellow level 3 warning for snow leading to possible loss of livestock and crops is expected over the high-lying areas of the Western Cape and southern interior of Namakwa on Wednesday and Thursday.
A Yellow level 4 warning for rain leading to flooding of roads and of both formal and informal settlements is expected over the city, the Cape Winelands and Overberg Districts on Wednesday.
A series of cold fronts is expected to bring very cold conditions, with daytime temperatures below 10°C over the high-lying areas of the Western Cape and Namakwa District from Tuesday through to Thursday.
The public and small stock farmers have been advised to take the necessary precautions.
Meanwhile, the City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) spokesperson, Charlotte Powell, said there were still many informal settlements across the city that remain waterlogged since the cold front experienced earlier this month.
According to DRMC assessments, close to 950 structures were affected by localised flooding.
'“The City's services are on standby to deal with any impacts related to the predicted adverse weather conditions, like clearing flooded roadways, blocked drains and trees, and restoring electricity to weather-related power outages.”