Residents of the Western Cape can start breathing a sigh of relief as dam levels take yet another leap higher following last week’s rainfall. Dam levels as of Monday, 11 June sit at 31.8%, resulting in a 2.0% increase from last week’s levels.

The City of Cape Town has recorded 216mm of rain during the month of May, which is higher than what was recorded at the same time last year.

The South African Weather Service has forecast more rain for this coming week starting on Thursday, all the way through to next week Wednesday.

The Wemmershoek dam currently sits at 58% capacity, the Bergriver dam at 54% capacity, the Voelvlei dam at 24% capacity, and the Theewaterskloof dam at 21% capacity.

Weekly dam levels as of 11/06/2018 (Source: City of Cape Town)

Western Cape Local Government and Environmental Affairs MEC, Anton Bredell, said that while dam levels are up, the drought is still far from over.

He added that a lot more rain is needed before the end of the winter season, saying that another cold front is expected to hit the Western Cape from Thursday onwards.

This graph compares 2018 dam levels to those of previous years (Source: City of Cape Town)

 

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Lucinda is a hard news writer who occasionally dabbles in lifestyle writing, and recent journalism graduate. She is a proud intersectional feminist, and is passionate about actively creating a world which is free of discrimination and inequality.