CENTRAL parts of the Western Cape can brace for what officials have described as a major thunderstorm from Thursday afternoon into Friday.
Disruptive rainfall can be expected in the Garden Route, Central Karoo, Cape Winelands and Overberg (east of Ceres and Robertson), the South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned projecting between 20 to 30mm, strong gusty winds, severe lightning and large amount of small hail.
Localised damage to infrastructure and settlements as well as localised and short-term disruption to essential services can also be expected.
“We hope to see the good rains provide some welcome relief in this regard but must warn the public about the high likelihood of severe disruptions due to the severity of the storm,” said Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell.
He said the regions to be affected include some of the worst drought-stricken areas in the Western Cape.
“Localised flooding/flash flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas, and bridges including mountain passes, such as Meiringspoort pass due to heavy downpours may occur. We urge the public to use extreme caution when travelling around the affected regions for the next two days as conditions may be hazardous and to avoid being outdoors as much as possible,” said Bredell.
In the event of any emergency, the public has been urged to contact the emergency services immediately by dialing 112 from any cell phone.
Additional regional numbers for reporting emergencies in the Western Cape:
· City of Cape Town - 107 or 021 480 7700 and 080 911 4357
· Overberg - 028 425 1690
· West Coast - 022 433 8700
· Garden Route - 044 805 5071
· Central Karoo – 023 449 8000
· Cape Winelands – 021 886 9244 / 021 887 4446
Cape Times