‘Take heed,’ says City of Cape Town as Level 5 warning issued and officials prepare for wet weekend

A view of a severely flooded road caused by heavy rain and cold fronts on 9 July 2024 in Cape Town. (Ziyaad Douglas/Gallo Images)

• A Level 5 weather warning has been issued for parts of Cape Town and surrounding municipalities this weekend.
• City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management teams are on high alert.
• Residents have been advised to prepare.

Even more wet weather is headed for Cape Town and surrounding municipalities this weekend, prompting the Disaster Risk Management Centre to put services on standby to deal with any impact.

The SA Weather Service issued a Level 5 warning for Cape Town and surrounding municipalities. 

Chief director of disaster management Colin Deiner said a planning meeting was held with officials from various teams.

“We are on high alert, particularly with the previous flooding we have had. We will be focusing on areas already affected by the previous storm,” he said.

The Western Cape has already experienced significant rainfall this month, and the soil in many areas remains well-saturated.

READ | Pounded by cold fronts: Western Cape residents annoyed as more wet weather hampers mop-up operations

“All City services will be put on standby to deal with any impacts from the forecast. We advise the public to please take heed of the current advisory and to start implementing any possible mitigation measures around their properties in the interim,” the City said.

It advised residents to clear drainage systems and clean gutters, remove dead tree branches and other obstructions, and dig trenches around their homes to divert water away. 

Meanwhile, power utility Eskom said its technicians were bracing themselves for yet another “weekend of storms”.

“The electricity network will be vulnerable as parts of the Western Cape province brace themselves for heavy rainfall and potential flooding after the SA Weather Service issued a Level 5 warning for disruptive rain.

“This could potentially affect restoration efforts and exacerbate the current backlog of faults that Eskom has prioritised to reduce in some of its electricity supply areas,” the utility added.

News24 previously reported that the Western Cape was declared a state of disaster after the storms. The cost of damage caused has already been estimated to amount to more than R1 billion.

ALSO READ | Too soon to tell: Western Cape government waiting for water to subside to tally cost of flooding

Authorities warned it would take a while before funding would be made available to repair the damage.

Before issuing a state of disaster declaration for the Western Cape following the storms, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa wanted to see the extent of the damage himself.

OPINION | Floods and displaced lives: The urgent need for climate action to protect the vulnerable

He visited affected communities in the aftermath of the storms that battered the Western Cape and led to the death of two people, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.