Cape storm: Strong winds and heavy rain should ease up by later this evening

A tree fell on several cars and a telephone pole in Hope Street. Picture: Armand Hough / African News Agency (ANA)

A tree fell on several cars and a telephone pole in Hope Street. Picture: Armand Hough / African News Agency (ANA)

Published Sep 25, 2023

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Slight relief for Cape Town residents as the South African Weather Service (SAWS) has advised that the rainfall over Cape Town should start subsiding by later this evening.

The wind speeds between 40 and 60 kilometres an hour too will also only persist for the next few hours.

The severe weather has wreaked havoc across the city and has resulted in flooding, property damage, road closures and power outages.

Disaster Risk Management spokesperson Charlotte Powell assured that the City of Cape Town and relevant external agencies are working closely together with the Disaster Coordinating Team in a bid to monitor and address impacts from the severe weather experienced in the last 24 hours.

Reports have been received regarding ongoing flooding incidents across the city.

The following areas were devastated by floods: Taiwan IFS Site C Khayelitsha, Morkel Cottages IFS Strand, Ekuphumleni IFS Du Noon, DM Section, France IFS, QQ Section, Green Point, Qandu Qandu IFS and SST IFS and Khayelitsha.

Due to the floods, the Spaanschemat River burst its bank onto M42 opposite Tokai Forest.

Several evacuations had to be made as a result of the flooding.

Emergency services have assisted six children trapped in three different houses in Strand and evacuated them to Strand Fire station.

There were also reports of residents evacuating their house in Sir Lowry’s Pass Village after it had collapsed. Structural engineers have been approached to attend to the situation.

Emergency teams have been informed to assist after there was a request for evacuation from Faure and Sandvlei.

In conjunction to evacuations and property damage, mudslides have been reported in Andrews Road, Hout Bay and on Ou Kaapse Weg.

A number of road closures remain in place but Jakes Gerwel Drive has been reopened to traffic.

Other parts of the country have also experienced inclement weather as motorists on KwaZulu-Natal roads struggle in a storm from a cut-off low pressure system and SAWS has issued a level two warning for thunderstorms in Gauteng.

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