The highest wind speed clocked during the recent storms in the Western Cape was more than 135kph.
This is according to the South African Weather Service (SAWS), which stated that the highest wind speed (135.72kph) was recorded at Sea Point in Cape Town on Sunday.
Also read: Over R16 million disaster grants allocated to WC storm damage
Forecaster Lauren Smith told News24 that 116.64kph was recorded at Slangkop and Kommetjie. A high of 115.3kph was recorded at the Molteno Reservoir in Cape Town.
Furthermore, the maximum gust recorded on Sunday was 115kph at Dwarsberg in Jonkershoek, says Abri de Buys, chief instrument technician at the South African Environmental Observation Network.
‘The 7 April 2024 maximum wind speed is tied in second place with another event of the same magnitude on 1 October 2020, also at 115.31 km/h (62 knots). This can be put into perspective using the Beaufort Scale, which classifies this gust as in the ‘violent storm’ category,’ he told News24.
On Thursday, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Thembi Nkadimeng allocated more than R16 million in disaster funding to five Western Cape municipalities.
The cut-off low that caused gale-force winds to sweep across the province resulted in many roofs blown off, flooding, thousands of structures damaged, exacerbated fires in several areas and left one person deceased.
Anton Bredell, MEC for Local Government, yesterday said he is monitoring the weather situation. ‘Even though the heavy downpours are expected to taper off during the day, we are closely monitoring this situation, as it can contribute to flooding downstream.
On our coastline, we are particularly concerned about estuaries at Mossel Bay and Wilderness.
‘From the ocean side, there is a spring tide coinciding with storm surges due to the weather system.
‘From the inland side, we are experiencing strong flowing rivers and overflowing dams. Taken together, these conditions are increasing the risks of flooding at estuaries, even if the river mouths are opened to the ocean.’
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Picture: City of Cape Town / Facebook
