Headaches for Cape Town residents as storm causes massive power outages

A car is heavily damaged by an uprooted tree caused by extreme weather conditions in Wynberg. Picture: Leon Knipe/African News Agency(ANA)

A car is heavily damaged by an uprooted tree caused by extreme weather conditions in Wynberg. Picture: Leon Knipe/African News Agency(ANA)

Published Jun 28, 2020

Share

Powerlines are being restored after electrical infrastructure in areas such as Wynberg, Bergvliet, Bonteheuwel and Athlone, among others have been affected by strong winds and rain in Cape Town. 

"City teams have been working day and night to attend to hundreds of power outages across the metro," said the City of Cape Town's Electricity Department in a statement. 

Strong wind and heavy rainfall wreaked havoc across Cape Town on Saturday morning, causing power outages, destroying homes, damaging cars and uprooting trees.

Trees uprooted at Ajax Ikamva in Parow West. Picture: Ian Landsberg/African News Agency (ANA)

"Power outages were experienced in Philippi, Steenberg, Fish Hoek, Kensington, Hout Bay Plumstead and Gugulethu. The Electricity Department will attend to all reported outages. Various roads across the City were flooded and these are being attended to by the Transport Directorate," said Charlotte Powell, the head of Public Awareness and Preparedness at the City of Cape Town.

"Prolonged outages should be expected due to the sheer volume of faults caused by the damaged power infrastructure due to the strong winds and rain. We are unable to say how long it will take to restore individual faults but we are working as hard as we can," the Electricity department said in a statement on Saturday.

Powell said no major incidents were reported overnight. 

"No major incidents or injuries were reported to the Disaster Operations Centre overnight. Mopping up operations are continuing across the city.  Transport is clearing roadways across the city and Recreation and Parks are removing uprooted trees," Powell said in a statement on Sunday. 

The informal settlements affected due to heavy rainfall were Phola Park, Sophia Town in Happy Valley, Kanana in Gugulethu, and Philippi.

Residents are urged to report electricity faults by sending an SMS to 31220.

IOL TECH

Related Topics: