Winter wallop — Barrage of fronts bring cold, wet, snowy conditions on heels of storm havoc

A chilly week ahead as cold fronts sweep through Western Cape, leaving a trail of havoc, from frigid temperatures to road closures and even snow warnings in towns like Stellenbosch and Sutherland, prompting mop-up operations and damage assessments while storm surges threaten coastal areas - all under the watchful eye of MEC Anton Bredell.

Huge waves smash against the breakwater at Three Anchor Bay in Cape Town, causing foam, on 8 July 2024. It is reported that the South African Weather Service has upgraded its initial warning from Yellow Level 4 to Yellow Level 6 for disruptive rain. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)

By Daily Maverick Reporters

8 Jul 2024

A series of cold fronts is still on track to bring a week of cold and wet conditions, said Anton Bredell, the Western Cape MEC for local government, environmental affairs and development.

Mop-up operations and damage assessments have begun in parts of the Western Cape after a series of cold fronts caused damage to infrastructure, frigid temperatures and road closures.

“Today will see the coldest daytime temperatures, and the next cold front with rain is expected to arrive on Tuesday. Between 10mm and 20mm of rain is expected over the western parts, and between 40mm and 60mm can be expected over the southern western mountains,” said Bredell.

Last week, Daily Maverick reported on a storm that caused localised flooding of homes. Over the weekend, damaging winds caused havoc in parts of the province.

Snow warnings were also issued for Western Cape towns including Stellenbosch, Worcester, Paarl, Ceres and Clanwilliam between Sunday and Monday. Northern Cape towns such as Sutherland and Calvinia were affected by snow too.

There have also been warnings for storm surges in areas such as Table Bay, Cape Town, Hermanus, Mossel Bay, Stilbaai, Saldanha Bay and Lambert’s Bay, stretching to Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape.

“Widespread disruptions and damages, including loss of shelter in informal settlements, localised flooding, fallen trees, electricity outages, and road closures due to snow or flooding, were reported during our meeting today,” said Bredell.

The City of Cape Town, Overberg, Cape Winelands and West Coast districts were hit hardest by the severe weather, he added.

Warnings from the weather service also include an outlook for strong to gale-force west to northwesterly winds for the southwest coast, emphasising a high danger for runaway wildfires in the Garden Route District. DM