Cape Town - Gale-force winds caused the gantry at the entrance to the Access Park shopping centre to collapse, dramatically missing a passing motorist by metres.
The collapsed steel structure caused the entrance to the centre in Kenilworth to be closed off for most of yesterday as workers cleared the debris.
Several videos shared on social media showed the massive sign crashing down.
In one of the videos, a man can be seen walking near the entrance to Access Park mere seconds before the wind blows the structure to the ground.
The incident was confirmed by Lance Hoffman, national technical manager of Fairvest Limited’s retail property.
He told the Cape Argus that the sign’s collapse had not resulted in any injuries or damage to stores.
Access Park’s Facebook page yesterday said shops were open for trading as usual and access to the centre can be gained via Myhof Road.
The collapse happened as an Orange level 6 warning was issued for the majority of the province, indicating strong to gusty winds shifting from north-westerly to westerly over the majority of the province.
According to the South African Weather Service’s Orange level 6 warning, strong to gale-force winds of 40 to 80km/h are expected over the Garden Route, eastern Overberg, eastern parts of the Cape Winelands, and southern Central Karoo.
It is anticipated that gusts will range from 90 to 120km/h, while damaging winds and disruptive snow are expected until the early hours of Wednesday.
Charlotte Powell, spokesperson for the City of Cape Town’s disaster risk management, said among the possible effects would be roof damage and uprooted trees.
“The public are urged to secure objects on their properties that could be carried by the wind, like outside furniture, and to be mindful of potential damage to garage doors, sliding doors and windows,” she said.
However, this is what has already been reported as there have been a number of road closures throughout the province along with the collapse of structures due to strong winds.
Meanwhile, the roof of a building situated behind Gatesville’s post office was blown off.
In the Helderberg, there was a massive sinkhole reported on Beach Road in Strand.
Since then, a number of cases involving blocked roads in several metros have been reported by the City’s Traffic Service, which has been connected to the bad weather.
Spokesperson Kevin Jacobs said this included trees that have fallen over in Kenilworth, Bishopscourt, Tamboerskloof and on Wetton Road.
He said: “Motorists are advised to be extremely cautious and on the lookout for any potential risks. We also ask that they exercise patience as traffic might move slower than usual in areas where obstructions have been reported.”
The Huguenot Tunnel on the N1 was closed off for heavy trucks in both directions, according to a statement from the Drakenstein Municipality.
The tunnel is still accessible to light-duty vehicles, but drivers are urged to take alternate routes.
Rock falls, water and bad weather have forced the closure of Bainskloof Pass. Motorists were advised by the municipality to steer clear of this area and look for alternate routes.
Several communities were also left in the dark as Eskom revealed that approximately 14 000 customers are without electricity supply due to faults caused by severe weather conditions across the Western Cape.
Blue Downs, Breede Valley, Delft, Grabouw, Hermanus, Stanford, Gansbaai, Khayelitsha, Northpine and Wallacedene were among the impacted communities, along with the nearby farms.
Newlands, Eagle Park, Rondebosch, Gugulethu, Milnerton, Pinelands, Lansdowne, Wynberg and Fish Hoek were among the other locations where power problems were reported.
Spokesperson for Disaster Risk Management, Charlotte Powell, said the Disaster Risk Management Centre is monitoring for any potential impacts from the inclement weather.
“According to the SA Weather Service, the rainfall and wind gusts being experienced across the metropole will start easing off in the early hours of (today).
“No incidents have been reported to the Disaster Operations Centre, but we are mindful of the fact that some low-lying areas remain waterlogged as a result of the record rainfall experienced in July.”
“City services are on standby to attend to any impacts that may arise, and our humanitarian partners too are on alert, in the event that soft relief is required.
“We ask the public to please be on the lookout for any falling debris or other obstructions caused by the strong winds, and to take extra precautions on the roads,” Powell said.
Any weather-related emergencies can be reported to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre at 021 480 7700.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za