UPDATE: Heavy downpours shift to Garden Route

UPDATE 09:50, 9 April:

George Disaster Management Services have advised that after sweeping the Outeniqua Pass together with Provincial Traffic, the road has been reopened for vehicles travelling at safe speeds.

Please note, the road surfaces remain wet, motorists are requested to proceed with caution and at reduced speed.

(Issued by George Municipality)

UPDATE 08:20, Tuesday 9 April:

The Head of Disaster Management in the Western Cape Colin Deiner, says the severe weather system has moved through the Overberg faster than anticipated, and the worst is now over for most parts of the Western Cape.

This as the Level 4 warning for Agulhas, Swellendam has been cancelled.

Heavy downpours have now however moved to the Garden Route, and the Outeniqua Pass was closed to motorists earlier due to excess water on the road surface.

UPDATE 05:00, 9 April:

The Head of Disaster Management in the Western Cape Colin Deiner says no major incidents have been reported this morning following overnight downpours in the Overberg and Cape Winelands.

The weather system is now moving eastwards, which will see large amounts of rain over the Southern Cape today.

A Yellow Level-4 warning for rain has however been cancelled over the Langeberg, Swellendam and Cape Agulhas municipalities.

UPDATE 17:41

Premier Alan Winde says the Western Cape is still on a level 9 weather warning.

UPDATE 16:58

Some trains service resume this afternoon, following yesterday’s gale force winds impacting the rail network and infrastructure.

Metrorail says the following services will continue operations:

Central Line:
The following train services will operate (Cape Town – Nyanga; Cape Town – Langa
via Pinelands; Bellville – Mutual via Lavistown).

Northern Line:
Trains that will operate in Area North are between (Cape Town – Bellville via Monte
Vista and Mutual; Cape Town – Kraaifontein and Wellington; Cape Town – Malmesbury)

The following services will be affected by the severe weather conditions:

North: Bellville – Eerste Rivier, Strand and Stellenbosch – du Toit

South: The entire Southern corridor will not operate, including the Cape Flats line. There are three issues that affect the service on the South line.

UPDATE 15:40

Schools in the Overberg and the Cape Winelands will remain closed tomorrow, as result of the inclement weather and damage to school infrastructure.

Schools in the Helderberg area will be open.

The Western Cape Education Department says 132 schools across the province have reported damages ranging from minor to serious. MEC David Maynier says the department is considering the closure of other schools.

“There may be schools outside of these districts that request closure due to severe infrastructure damage or inaccessibility. This will be considered by the Department on a case-by-case basis through the normal procedures for requesting school closure. Schools with the necessary permission to close will communicate directly with parents.”

UPDATE: 14:35

Baden Powell Drive has been reopened in both directions, as has Kloof Road between Regent Road and Avenue Francaise.

Closures still in effect at this time are:

Chapman’s Peak and Clarence Drive due to the inclement weather and the potential for rockfalls.

UPDATE 12:50

Eskom says minor structural damages has led to a loss of electricity supply in number of areas.

“Those mainly affected are Beaufort West, Kraaifontein, Khayelitsha, Klawer and surrounding farms, Kylemore, Gordon’s Bay, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Somerset West, Stellenbosch farms and Vredendal.”

It says residents can expect prolonged periods without electricity. It further urged residents to be patient as technicians attend to the faults.

The Chief Director of Disaster Management in the province Colin Deiner has confirmed that 1 person has died as a result of the inclement weather experienced in the province.

He explains a security guard died at the Diemersfontein Wine Estate in Wellington yesterday (Sunday), as gale force winds lashed the Winelands.

The guard was doing patrols on a quad-bike when a tree was dislodged and fell on him.

UPDATE 10:00, 8 April:

Premier Alan Winde says only localised flooding has been reported in areas experiencing downpours at the moment. He has again urged caution from residents traveling through affected areas:

UPDATE FROM THE OVERBERG 09:00, 8 April:

Grabouw has already seen 80mm of rain, which is now moving in a easterly direction into the Overberg region. Another 60mm to 80mm rain can be expected throughout the day and into tomorrow (Tuesday) as the system moves from west to east.

Monday 8 April, 08:20: The City’s Traffic Service has advised that the Gordon’s Bay Driving Licence Testing Centre is closed, due to a weather-related electricity outage. It is unclear when the supply will be restored.

The Somerset West Driving Licence Testing Centre was also closed over the weekend, until further notice, due to wind-damage.

Any persons in the affected areas who urgently require DLTC services are advised that the nearest facilities are Kuils River and Lingelethu West.

UPDATE: The latest road closures in the province 07:30, Monday 8 April:

With the black South Easter starting to subside and numerous fires contained, the focus now shifts to the heavy downpours that is expected over several parts of the province for the rest of Monday.

An Orange Level 6 Warning is still in place for disruptive rain over Cape Town, Swartland and Witzenberg today, while an Orange Level 9 Warning remains in place for the Overberg and southern Cape Winelands.

The City’s Disaster Coordinating Team (DCT) has reconvened this morning to manage the response to the prevailing inclement weather.

The DCT will monitor the metropole from the DRM Strategic Room in Goodwood, and coordinate responses to:

Ensure that persons are evacuated in areas where their safety is at risk.
To conduct assessments to determine the nature and extent of any humanitarian relief required
Assessing/repairing/replacing any damaged City infrastructure
Introducing engineering or other solutions where possible, and depending on the situation, to provide relief from weather-related impacts

Already numerous road closures are being managed/addressed; the removal of trees that have toppled over onto roadways; restoring electrical faults; assisting with roofs that have been blown off, and doing fire-related mop ups and monitoring.

The public is requested to report any weather-related emergency where life or property is at risk to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre by dialling 021 480 7700 from a cellphone or 107 from a landline.

Any other service requests can be logged via the channels below:

UPDATE 07:00, Monday 8 April: The Huguenot Tunnel has been reopened for ALL vehicles.

Gale force winds blew a truck’s trailer off the bridge on Saturday, while a caravan was also lost on Sunday morning:

ROAD CLOSURES UPDATE 06:00, Monday 8 April:

The following closures are still in place :

Baden Powell drive between Oscar Mpetha and Mew way Khayalitsha
Baden Powell between Strandfontein and Sunrise circle
Fishhoek main between Glencairn and Hillside and Fishhoek circle
Hout Bay main between Disa river and OR Tambo
Clarence drive(R44) and Gordons bay
Kloof road between Regent and Avenue Frensnaye Sea Point

UPDATE ON TRAINS 5:00, Monday 8 April:

Commuters using parts of the Northern rail line and the entire Southern rail line will need to find alternative transport as the weather conditions have affected the train service.

Trains that will operate are as follows:

Central Line: The entire Central corridor will operate as per normal (Cape Town – Nyanga; Cape Town – Langa via Pinelands).
Northern Line: Trains that will operate on the Northern line are (Cape Town – Bellville; Cape Town – Kraaifontein and Wellington including Bellville to Mutual via Lavistown)

Below, are lines that will be affected by the weather conditions:

North:

Bellville – Eerste Rivier
Strand and
Stellenbosch – du Toit

South:

The entire Southern corridor will not operate, including the Cape Flats line.

[ Media Statement ]
As the Western Cape is experiencing inclement weather conditions .
Please note service update 🚉#NorthernLineCT #CapeFlatsLineCT #SouthernLineCT #CentralLineCT pic.twitter.com/jYJfAWzGRV

— Metrorail W/Cape (@MetrorailWC) April 7, 2024

SEVERE WEATHER IMPACTS TRAIN SERVICES 19:45, Sunday 7 April: Metrorail has advised that its Fish Hoek and Stellenbosch train services have been affected due to the gale force winds blowing debris onto the tracks.

Commuters have been advised to make use of alternative transport.

UPDATE: Call for donations for weather/fire victims

The following drop off sites are available for donations from the public to help address the impacts of the current inclement weather over the metropole and surrounds, as well as recent fires:

Donations can be channelled directly to humanitarian relief NGOs
The Disaster Risk Management offices in Goodwood, behind the Fire Station
The Sir Lowry’s Pass Fire Station

DRAKENSTEIN UPDATE 18:45, Sunday 7 April:

More than 30 houses in Drakenstein have lost their roofs during Saturday night and Sunday morning. Some homes also suffered structural damage.

The Drakenstein Municipality is making accommodation available to residents in need in community halls across Drakenstein.

Considering the predicted level 9 disruptive rain warning issued by the South African Weather Service for Monday, 8 April, the Municipality is urging communities to play their part, and to clear the gutters and downpipes of their homes from leaves and debris – to assist the flow of stormwater and to prevent obstructions and flooding.

Here are the latest alerts from the South African Weather Service:

Orange Level 9 warning for disruptive rain resulting in widespread flooding and damage to property, buildings and loss of livelihoods is expected over the Overberg and the southern Cape Winelands on Monday (08/04/2024).
Yellow Level 4 warning for wind and waves leading to difficulty in navigation at sea, is expected between Saldanha Bay and Plettenberg Bay on Sunday into Monday (07-08/04/2024).
Orange Level 6 warning for wind leading to vessels being at risk of dragging anchor and breaking mooring lines is expected between Table Bay and Cape Agulhas, while structural damage is expected over the City of Cape Town, Overberg and Cape Winelands on Sunday (07/04/2024).
Yellow Level 4 warning for interior wind resulting in problems for high-sided vehicles on prone routes (e.g. N1 and N2) and damage to settlements, is expected over the Western Cape interior and the southern regions of Namakwa (N.Cape) on Sunday (07/04/2024).
Yellow Level 4 warning for disruptive rain resulting in flooding of roads and settlements is expected over the Central Karoo, West Coast, Cape Winelands (W. Cape) and southern regions of Namakwa (N.Cape) on Sunday and Monday. These conditions will spread to the western parts of Garden Route on Monday evening (07-08/04/2024).
Orange Level 6 warning for disruptive rain resulting in possible damage to roads and bridges is expected over the City of Cape Town, Swartland, and Witzenberg municipalities on Monday (08/04/2024).
Yellow Level 4 warning for disruptive rain resulting in flooding of roads and settlements is expected over the Garden Route and eastern parts of the Overberg on Tuesday (09/04/2024).

GLENCAIRN FIRE UPDATE 17:45, Sunday 7 April:

Initial estimates are that three formal dwellings have been completely destroyed and four partially damaged, following a fire in Glencairn near the Main Road, that was reported just after midday on Sunday.

Fire fighters also had to evacuate two women from their home as they collapsed.

Apart from the risks posed by the fire, staff have also had to contend with subsequent rockfalls.

The City’s fire and Rescue Service says all efforts are being taken to extinguish the fire. Over 20 firefighting resources remain on scene.

A fire in Glencairn has destroyed a number of properties

UPDATE ON WINELANDS FIRES 17:00, Sunday 7 April:

The Cape Winelands District Municipality Fire Services and their partners report they have made significant strides in responding to the multiple fires across the region.

Most of the fires have been contained, with the exception of the Paarl Mountain fire. Fire officials are however hopeful that the current downpour will significantly aid containment efforts.

SCHOOL CLOSURES UPDATE 16:45, Sunday 7 April:

Education MEC David Maynier says the decision to close schools in the Overberg, Cape Winelands and Helderberg basin was not taken lightly, as several schools had already contacted the Department to report damage to infrastructure.

We may also close selected schools on an ad hoc basis if damage to a school building requires this. Our default position is always to keep schools open but are mindful of the severity of the warnings in place, including a level 9 warning for the Overberg and southern Cape Winelands.

The Department will reevaluate the weather on Monday to determine whether any closures are necessary on Tuesday, 9 April.

Below are the schools that will be closed in the Metro East, Monday 8 April:

UPDATE: Over a 1000 people have been left homeless after a fire ripped through Kayamandi in Stellenbosch on Saturday evening, fanned by strong winds. Premier Winde visited the scene of the fire earlier on Sunday.

UPDATE 15:00, Sunday 7 April:

The City has activated its Disaster Coordinating Committee to coordinate its response to the impacts of the inclement weather experienced over the metropole and surrounds.

At this point, most of the impacts have been wind-related, with roofs blown off in Khayelitsha, Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, Macassar, Strand and Delft.

Residents of Morkel Cottages have been evacuated – they are staying with friends and family. The Somerset West Methodist Primary School has also suffered extensive wind-damage.

In the south peninsula, at least nine properties have been destroyed by a fire in the Glencairn area.

Evacuations are underway in Main Road, Fish Hoek. The fire has also caused rock falls along Main Road.

The Energy Department is working on restoring power lines and supply in numerous areas, including Claremont, Fish Hoek, Athlone, Durbanville, Mfuleni, Kuilsriver and Plumstead.

There have also been numerous reports of uprooted trees in Somerset West, Philippi, Mitchells Plain and Sea Point.

Currently, road closures include Baden Powell Drive, Clarence Drive & the R44 and Main Road, Fish Hoek.

Gale force winds have wreaked havoc in the province Saturday evening and Sunday, with numerous fires being reported, damage to infrastructure, and heavy rains expected Sunday evening into Monday.

During a digicon Sunday afternoon, Premier Alan Winde and Education MEC David Maynier announced all schools in the Overberg, Cape Winelands, and Helderberg (Somerset) areas will be closed tomorrow (Monday) due to the severe weather.

He says Departmental teams are communicating with private schools at the moment.

I am appealing to residents to avoid sharing fake news. For accurate information, please visit my social media pages or our website.

A level 9 weather warning was issued by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) for the southern parts of the Cape Winelands and Overberg districts.

An intense cut-off low system is moving in over parts of these regions, bringing with it intense downpours and wind.

Watch the briefing by Winde and other stakeholders here:

UPDATE 10:30, Sunday 7 April: A number of weather-related incidents have been reported to the City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre.

Somerset Mall has been closed due to roof sheeting that’s blown off.

At Morkels Cottage as well as the Donkerbos informal settlement in Somerset West, the roofs have blown off some structures, and there have been a few injuries.

There have also been reports of roofs blown off in Somerset west, Macassar, Mitchells Plain and Clifton.

The Recreation and Parks Department is clearing uprooted trees in Somerset west, Macassar, Sea Point and Philippi.

The Stellenbosch area was also heavily affected with numerous trees being uprooted.

weather storm wind rain — A huge tree was uprooted in Stellenbosch due to the gale force winds

The Cape Winelands District Municipalities Fire Services were battling several fires since late Saturday night into Sunday, fuelled by gale force winds.

A fire that broke out at the neighboring farm in the early hours of Sunday morning, resulted in devastating destruction to some of the historic Blaauwklippen Estate’s iconic buildings.

Roads are also being affected by the inclement weather. The R44 Clarence Drive has been closed between Gordons Bay and Rooi-Els along with the Huguenot Tunnel and Chapman’s Peak.

On Saturday afternoon, a truck’s trailer was blown over on the Huguenot Tunnel. The driver was not injured.

For a full update on the latest road closures, click HERE.

Meanwhile, Eskom says it’s experiencing a major backlog of faults in, Eskom-supplied areas, within the Cape Metropole and parts of West Coast, Boland and Overberg.

Inclement weather has contributed significantly to power supply challenges.