Rain, wind cause havoc

2003-08-18 16:47

Cape Town - Heavy downpours and strong winds are lashing Cape Town and creating havoc in city streets.

No roads are closed, but several main routes are flooded, the Cape Town traffic department said.

Table Bay Boulevard in and out of the city at Lower Church and Marine Drive is flooded. So is Black River Parkway on the M5 section near Valkenburg bridge, and the M5 at the Ottery turnoff. Harrington Rd in Simonstown has partly collapsed

Motorists are advised to switch on their headlights, to drive slowly and to keep a safe following distance.

No major accidents have been reported.

Jeffrey Lasky, Manager: Disaster management for the City of Cape Town said limited storm damage has been reported.

In Sea Point the windows of a number of older buildings have been blown in. The roofs of six houses in Rondebosch have been blown off.

The gale force winds and heavy rains created havoc in informal settlements. In Tafelsig, several roofs have been blown off. Flooding has been reported in Wallacedene.

Rain, wind, snow

WeatherSA forecasts widespread rain, strong winds and bitter cold for the Western Cape over the next three days. Snow is expected on mountains in the western Cape, the southern Cape, Winelands, Breede River Valley, Ruens, Bokkeveld, Little Karoo and Southern Karoo.

Widespread showers are expected to occur over the whole region.

The weather service has issued severe weather warnings of gale force northwesterly winds of up to 65km/h between the Cape Peninsula and Cape Agulhas.

Very rough seas with a total wave height in excess of 5m are expected between Cape Columbine and Cape Agulhas, spreading to Plettenberg Bay later on Monday.

- News24