The Western Cape is currently facing persistent heavy rains, prompting the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) to maintain its coordination efforts in response to successive cold fronts. According to the latest update from the South African Weather Service (SAWS) during its daily briefing at the Joint Operations Centre (JOC):
– An Orange Level 8 alert remains in effect for disruptive rain, strong winds, and mudslides due to the recent cold front making landfall. This warning specifically affects the Cape Town Metropole, Drakenstein, and Stellenbosch areas.
– A Yellow Level 4 warning for damaging winds is scheduled for Friday, July 12, spanning from Lambert’s Bay to Mossel Bay, and encompassing southern Namakwa (Northern Cape), Cape Town Metro, Cape Winelands, Central Karoo, Overberg, and the western Garden Route areas.
– Another Yellow Level 4 warning has been issued for damaging waves from Alexander Bay to Plettenberg Bay over the next two days.
– An Orange Level 6 warning is also in place for strong waves along the coast from Table Bay to Struisbaai during the same period.
Water levels in dams across the region continue to rise steadily. As of Thursday morning, Berg River Dam was at 107.13%, Clanwilliam at 92%, Misverstand at 155%, and Theewaterskloof Dam at 83.8%. The Department of Water and Sanitation is actively monitoring these developments.
Eskom has confirmed that its technical teams are working tirelessly to restore power to multiple areas affected by recent weather conditions. On Thursday, power faults were reported in Mossel Bay and George. In addition, there are ongoing efforts to address 6,000 power interruptions in Worcester and De Doorns, with 4,000 people affected by outages in Betty’s Bay and Kleinmond. Repair work on damaged power infrastructure in Khayelitsha, within the Cape metro, is facing challenges due to flooding.
Humanitarian relief operations are actively continuing across all affected regions. In the Cape Town metro alone, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have collaborated to provide 44,000 meals to those in need since Monday. The public is encouraged to contribute by donating non-perishable food items, blankets, toiletries, and other essentials.
Residents of the Cape Town metro have borne the brunt of the impact, with 6,928 structures throughout the city affected, impacting over 8,000 people. Since the initial cold front hit land, approximately 14,000 structures across the province have sustained damage, affecting around 15,000 people.
Premier Alan Winde emphasized the continuation of daily Joint Operations Centre (JOC) meetings until the weather conditions improve. He urged residents to prioritize safety and avoid unnecessary risks. Acknowledging the concerted efforts of disaster management teams, law enforcement agencies, NGOs, and faith-based groups, Winde expressed gratitude for their dedicated work under challenging circumstances.
“I cannot thank you enough. We have all demonstrated our ability to unite during disasters to assist one another. This is the Western Cape that I am incredibly proud of,” remarked Premier Alan Winde.
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