Cape braces for 1st winter storm
2009-05-14 14:34
Cape Town - Surfers are getting excited and disaster management officials are on standby as the Cape Peninsula braces for its first major winter storm, which is expected to hit this weekend.
Gale force winds and waves in excess of five to seven metres will keep most residents indoors.
The SA Weather Service has issued an advisory, with forecaster Stella Nake telling News24 the south western peninsula and areas near Table Mountain would be particularly affected by heavy rainfall.
"There is a possibility of gale-force north westerly winds of 70km per hour, including in the interior, and over the deep sea areas it might be more than 80km per hour," she said.
The cold front is expected to move over the Western Cape towards Plettenberg Bay on Saturday night, Sunday and during the early half of next week.
Big waves
Local surfers were already readying themselves for the first big waves of the season. Surf forecasting site Wavescape Ocean Watch (WOW), called it the "the first serious beast of the season".
"The whole coast between Agulhas and the Wild Coast is absolutely off its face on Monday and Tuesday, and solid grinding south swell lasts along the southern Cape all week," the site enthused.
But the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) warned the public to take care, saying unpredictable weather changes at this time of year was normal.
"We're urging people to check out the weather before they launch and take the necessary precautions," said spokesperson Craig Lambinon, in a general warning for the season.
"In autumn and as the winter approaches, even in fine weather the sea can be unexpectedly rougher."
The City of Cape Town's Disaster Risk Management was on alert should conditions worsen. "There's a team of specialised people that can activate contingency plans in the city," spokesperson Charlotte Powell said.
Community halls in the city's 24 high risk areas, mostly near informal settlements, were open to the public should flooding occur.