With another bout of severe winter weather expected to arrive this weekend, the City of Cape Town is urging residents to prepare now, as emergency services and disaster response teams gear up for an intense cold front forecast to make landfall on Sunday, Cape {town} Etc reports.
According to the City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre, all relevant municipal services and external partners have been placed on standby following multiple impact-based weather warnings issued by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) for parts of the Western Cape.
The approaching system is expected to reach the province on Sunday, bringing widespread rain, strong winds and hazardous sea conditions before moving eastwards and persisting into Monday.
SAWS has issued a Yellow level 4 warning for disruptive rain, warning that scattered to widespread showers are expected across the western and south-western parts of the province. Rainfall of between 15mm and 25mm is forecast for many areas, while the City of Cape Town and Cape Winelands districts could receive between 30mm and 60mm on Sunday.
In addition to the rainfall, a Yellow level 2 warning for damaging winds has been issued for the Western Cape and the southern parts of Namakwa in the Northern Cape. Strong winds could create localised problems for high-sided vehicles travelling along exposed routes.
Marine conditions are also expected to deteriorate, with a Yellow level 2 warning for damaging waves in effect between Cape Columbine and Cape Agulhas from Sunday into Monday. The warning highlights the potential for difficult navigation at sea as the cold front moves through.
While authorities prepare for potential weather-related incidents, the City is encouraging residents to take practical steps to reduce the risk of damage to their homes and property before the frontal system arrives.
In its advisory, the DRMC said simple preparations such as clearing gutters and stormwater drains, checking roofs for leaks or loose sheeting and securing outdoor furniture and other loose items help minimise damage during periods of heavy rain and strong winds.
Residents living in informal settlements are also encouraged to dig trenches to divert water away from their homes where possible and raise floor levels above the surrounding ground to reduce the risk of flooding.
The City says ‘all relevant City services and external partners are on standby to deal with any weather-related impacts’ and has reminded residents to report any incidents as soon as it is safe to do so.
For non-emergency service requests, residents can contact the City’s Corporate Call Centre on 0860 103 089 or log requests via the City’s website or mobile app. Emergencies involving danger to life or property should be reported to the Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700.
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Picture: Matthew Henry / Unsplash
