Authorities are on high alert as Cape Town and surrounding areas brace for a cold front that could bring heavy rain and near-gale force winds. (Carl & Ann Purcell/Getty Images)
Authorities
are on high alert following a warning of heavy rain and strong winds in Cape
Town and surrounding areas.
The South
African Weather Service warned of a cold front on Wednesday that could result
in heavy rain and showers over the Cape Town, Swartland, Stellenbosch,
Drakenstein and Overberg municipalities.
Accumulated
rainfall of between 40 and 50 mm is expected.
The heavy
rain could also result in flooding in informal settlements and low-lying areas.
There is also a risk of motor vehicle accidents due to wet roads and reduced
visibility.
Near-gale
winds of between 40 and 60km/h are also expected between Saldanha Bay and
Plettenberg Bay, according to the weather service.
Wave
heights of between 3.5 and 4 metres are expected. This may affect navigation at
sea and cause localised disruptions at small harbours and ports.
According
to the City of Cape Town, strong winds and heavy showers often lead to damaged
infrastructure, resulting in many electricity service requests.
“In
instances of heavy rain and strong winds, our teams can only attend to the
damaged infrastructure once it is safe to do so. We urge residents to only use
one reporting channel when reporting any faults to us so that duplicate service
requests are avoided,” the City said in a statement.
It urged
residents to check if trees and vegetation on their properties could put power
supply at risk.
“But
leave tree-trimming near all electricity infrastructure to professionals… This
is dangerous work and should be done by professionals only,” it warned.
