Cape Town - The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre has asked residents to take precautionary measures following advice from the South African Weather Service (SAWS) about possible inclement weather in the coming days.
The Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) says it has alerted all relevant city services to be on standby in the event of any potential weather-related impacts around the metro.
SAWS has advised that an intense cut-off low-pressure system is expected to affect the Western Cape from Saturday evening, April 6, through Monday, April 8.
The system could result in a black south-easterly wind, possible disruptive rainfall, damaging waves, and very cold, wet, and windy conditions.
“Persistent showers and thundershowers may lead to flooding over the central and eastern parts of the country, particularly from Sunday into Monday, while severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and large amounts of small hail are possible over the western interior on Sunday into Monday.
“There is also an indication of heavy rainfall over parts of the Overberg and south-west coast of the Western Cape on Monday into Tuesday as the cut-off low exits along the southern coast of the Western Cape.
“The Cape south-west coast may also experience a strong gale force south-easterly wind, which could affect coastal marine routines and operations,” the SAWS statement further reads.
On the other side, the city has also requested that residents help reduce risks to their properties by:
- Clearing out drainage systems.
- Raising the floor level of a structure so that it is higher than the natural ground level.
- Raise furniture on bricks to clear from the floor to limit water damage .
- Make sandbags.
- Dig trenches around the house to divert water away from the house.
- Report blocked drains, intakes and illegal dumping – illegal dumping in the storm water canals and sewers make flooding worse.
- Waterproof roofs, clear gutters and remove dead tree branch.
sibuliso.duba@inl.co.za