Thunderstorms and disruptive rain alert for Western Cape

The South African Weather Service (Saws) issued a warning for disruptive rain and damaging coastal wind on Wednesday in parts of the Western Cape.

Disaster risk management also warned residents that thunderstorms were expected.

“Disruptive rain resulting in localised flooding of roads and susceptible settlements as well as motor vehicle accidents due to slippery roads and reduced visibility is expected over the City of Cape Town, Swartland, Stellenbosch, Drakenstein and western Overberg municipalities of the Western Cape,” said Saws.

“Damaging coastal winds resulting in difficulty navigating at sea, which may lead to small vessels and personal watercraft at risk of taking on water and capsizing, are expected between Saldanha and Cape Agulhas, spreading to Plettenberg Bay towards the evening while moderating from the west.”

Vox Weather predicted a strong cold front in the southwest could see light snow dust mountains in the province well as the southern Drakensberg and Lesotho.

Cape Town disaster risk management (DRM) spokesperson Sonica Lategan said the city had experienced steady rainfall since the early hours of the morning but no significant problems had been reported.

“There are some thunderstorms in the forecast and the public is urged to exercise caution,” said Lategan.

“DRM also notes the prospect of more moderate rainfall in the forecast over the weekend.”

Authorities also warned of potential electricity outages due to inclement weather.

“Strong wind and heavy rain often lead to damaged infrastructure, resulting in a high number of electricity service requests. In instances of heavy rain and strong wind, our teams can only attend to the damaged infrastructure once it is safe to do so,” said the city.

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