
- The City of Cape Town has received reports of mudslides, flooding and uprooted trees.
- According to a South African Weather Service forecast, "disruptive" rainfall was expected from midday on Thursday.
- The Western Cape government urged the public to be cautious.
Disaster
services in Cape Town have been responding to reports of mudslides, flooding
and uprooted trees as residents battened down the hatches in the face of
another cold front, which hit on Thursday.
The City of Cape Town's disaster risk agencies were on high alert as more gale force winds and heavy rain lashed the city.
Disaster Risk Management spokesperson Charlotte Powell said all agencies were ready to deal with any impact brought on by the adverse weather conditions.Powell
added Hospital Bend had been affected by mudslides, while the nearby Anzio Road
was flooded.
"The City's traffic service and roads department are assessing the situation."
In the Devil's Peak area, there was a report of a mudslide on a private property."We have also had reports of trees uprooted in Main Road Claremont and in Plumstead. Assessments are also underway in Khayelitsha, following reports of flooding in informal settlements," she said.
READ | Western Cape residents scramble to clean up their homes after last week's flooding
Traffic services were roadside and motorists were urged to drive slowly and increase their following distances.??Cold front arriving Cape Town this afternoon (08 July 2021). Winds are currently around 60km/h gusting 80km/h with some heavy rain over the next 3 hours leading to poor driving conditions and localized flooding. pic.twitter.com/5XyUvomnHn
— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) July 8, 2021
According
to a South African Weather Service (SAWS) forecast, "disruptive" rainfall
was expected from midday on Thursday.
READ | Cape Town emergency teams on standby as cold front makes landfall
Strong, damaging winds gusted for most of Thursday, as per the SAWS warning. It also issued a level 2 yellow warning for localised flooding.The rain is certainly bucketing down in Cape Town! pic.twitter.com/vGSH8tCInB
— David Maynier (@DavidMaynier) July 8, 2021
Western
Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning spokesperson
James-Brent Styan urged the public to be cautious.
"The weather conditions in the Western Cape have taken a turn for the worst this afternoon [Thursday] as predicted by the SAWS; the very strong gale force wind has started to set in across the south-western parts of the province, particularly in the City of Cape Town."
He added the metro experienced heavy rainfall.
"It will make conditions very difficult this afternoon as well as this evening until very late. We are urging those driving to be patient and to drive slowly. Be aware of high-sided vehicles on the major routes that are at risk of falling over as a result of the strong winds."