Schools across parts of the Western and Eastern Cape will close this Wednesday and Thursday in response to severe weather warnings from the South African Weather Service. (Image: iStock) Schools across parts of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape are set to close their doors this Wednesday and Thursday as authorities respond to a series of severe weather warnings from the South African Weather Service (SAWS).
The move comes as SAWS continues to monitor an intense cut-off low-pressure system currently sweeping across the country. While widespread showers and thundershowers have already been recorded, the situation is expected to intensify over the south and southeastern regions on Wednesday. Forecasters have warned that very heavy rain could lead to severe flooding, particularly in the eastern parts of the Western Cape and the southwestern parts of the Eastern Cape.
High-level impact warnings
SAWS has issued a series of high-level impact-based warnings, ranging from severe storms to life-threatening floods, including:
- Orange Level 8 for disruptive rain: A severe warning is in place for the eastern parts of the Garden Route District in the Western Cape, as well as the Kouga and Kou-Kamma municipalities in the Eastern Cape on Wednesday and Thursday. This rain is expected to cause widespread flooding of roads and settlements, posing a direct danger to life due to fast-flowing streams, potentially cutting off entire communities;
- Orange Level 6 for disruptive rain: Expected over the northeastern Western Cape and southern Eastern Cape, these conditions are likely to result in flooded infrastructure and further isolate vulnerable areas on Wednesday and Thursday;
- Orange Level 6 for severe thunderstorms: On Wednesday, the eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal face heavy downpours that may lead to flash flooding in settlements and roads. These storms are also expected to bring large amounts of small hail to populated areas; and
- Orange Level 6 for damaging winds and waves: Navigational difficulties and disruptions to small harbours and ports are expected between Cape Agulhas and Cannon Rocks. These conditions are forecast to persist from Tuesday through to Thursday.
SAWS forecaster Tokelo Chiloane has warned that snow is expected to affect high-lying areas from Wednesday evening, specifically the northeastern Western Cape, the southern Northern Cape and the north of the Eastern Cape. These conditions are likely to cause significant disruptions on roads in these regions.
“There are also strong winds expected on Wednesday through much of the western and central interior of the country, spreading to the east later in the day, and may become damaging in places,” Chiloane added.
Beyond the wind and snow, a sharp drop in temperature is forecast across most of the country for Wednesday and Thursday. With the exception of the extreme northeastern parts, in many high-lying areas maximum temperatures will struggle to reach the teens, with some potentially dipping even lower.
Emergency closures for Western Cape schools
In response to the escalating risk, Western Cape education MEC David Maynier announced that, after consultation with disaster management and SAWS, schools in specific circuits will be closed on Wednesday, 6 May and Thursday, 7 May.
The closure affects all public ordinary and special needs schools in the following areas of the Eden and Central Karoo Education District:
- George: Circuits 3 and 8;
- Knysna: Circuit 4; and
- Oudtshoorn: Circuits 5 and 6.
“Our default position is always to keep schools open and only close schools in exceptional circumstances, but we are mindful of the severity of the warnings in place. We will continuously monitor and evaluate the situation to ensure that schools can reopen as soon as possible,” Maynier said.
The affected schools have received official notice of the closure from the head of department and have been asked to communicate the closures to parents.
All other Western Cape schools remain open unless approved for closure on a case-by-case basis.
Maynier noted that the department is continuously evaluating the weather to ensure schools reopen as soon as it is safe to do so. While all schools are expected to return to normal operations on Friday, 8 May, the department will continue to evaluate end-of-week predictions to determine if any specific, individual closures remain necessary.
Eastern Cape suspends classes in high-risk districts
The Eastern Cape Department of Education has placed schools throughout the province on high alert, with several regions already receiving instructions to suspend classes as a safety precaution.
In a formal memorandum sent to all nine education districts on 5 May, the department confirmed that schooling had already been suspended in several coastal municipalities as a precautionary safety measure. These areas, which are expected to bear the brunt of Level 6 damaging waves and severe rain, include:
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality;
- Kouga Municipality;
- Kou-Kamma Municipality; and
- Sundays River Valley.
The disruption is not limited to the coast; inland regions are bracing for the impact of Level 5 disruptive snow. While no blanket closure has been announced for the interior at this stage, the department has specifically identified Jamestown, Elundini, Senqu and Walter Sisulu as high-risk areas where schools must remain on high alert.
Head of department Sharon Maasdorp has urged school management teams, parents and teachers to prioritise pupil safety above all else. She emphasised that while the department has already informed school governing bodies and labour organisations of these developments, they will continue to provide updates should conditions worsen or further disruptions become necessary to ensure a safe and enabling environment during the storm.
Public safety advisory
While conditions are expected to improve gradually from Friday, 8 May, the public is urged to remain hyper-vigilant in the interim. Authorities and SAWS have issued a firm advisory to ensure resident safety during the peak of the storm:
- Stay away from rivers and streams, and strictly avoid crossing flooded roads or swollen rivers;
- Exercise extreme caution if you must be on the roads, though unnecessary travel should be avoided entirely during the peak of the weather event;
- Secure loose outdoor items around the home that may become dislodged or dangerous during periods of strong winds;
- Refrain from all coastal and marine activities until the damaging waves and wind subside; and
- Follow only official warnings and updates from authorities, and refrain from distributing unverified information.
Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga
SAWS has also issued a level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms affecting Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Early morning thunderstorms are expected and it is possibile that some will become severe over Mpumalanga and the southeastern parts of Limpopo. These storms are associated with heavy downpours leading to localised flooding and strong, damaging winds. DM