Cape Town - Heavy rains are expected in the Western Cape this week, according to forecasters at the SA Weather Service (Saws).
Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said: “Western Cape dams will get another boost. However, given that heavy rains sometimes lead to localised flooding, communities are urged to exercise due care when crossing low-lying bridges and water systems.
“The DWS hydrological weekly report of June 8 suggests that the Western Cape state of dams combined is at a stable 36%.
“The Stettynskloof Dam in the Breede Valley area has seen a notable increase of almost 5% and is standing at 55.33% as compared with 50.78% last week. The Misverstand Dam is still overflowing and is at 105% compared with 115% last week,” he said.
Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell said: “The latest seasonal forecast for winter rainfall for the province has come back more optimistic than earlier forecasts, with Saws now projecting a likely scenario of higher than average rainfall.
“We certainly seem to be getting the winter weather we were hoping for in terms of rainfall. Saws is warning of heavy rainfall to be expected from Wednesday into Thursday across broad regions of the Western Cape, including the West Coast, Cape Winelands, the City of Cape Town and the Overberg.
“This will be accompanied by snow, strong wind and flooding in areas. If possible, stay indoors and off the roads. Emergency Services and disaster management across the province remain on standby,” said Bredell.
On Tuesday, city council said that water levels at dams supplying the Cape Town have decreased by 0.5 percent over the past week to 54.6 percent of total capacity. In a statement, the council said water consumption was at 659 million litres per day during the week of June 1-7, up 12 million litres a day from the previous week's 647 million litres.
Mayco member for Water and Waste Services, Xanthea Limberg said the council was watching weather predictions for a sign that this year's winter season would see the break of a five year drought and the return of normal rainfall.
"Showers have been predicted for this week and it is hoped that this will have a significant effect on the dams," Limberg said.
"However, residents should note that low rainfall does not mean that another day zero is on the horizon. Even if we get similarly sparse rainfall as we did in 2017 (the driest year on record), dams will still end up above 60 percent full, with significant augmentation capacity scheduled to come online over the next year."
@MwangiGithahu
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za