In photos — Cape storm wreaks havoc

Western Cape residents on Monday battled stormy weather that saw roads across the metro underwater, the roofs of houses blown off and informal settlements flooded, leaving many households without electricity.

The Provincial Disaster Management Centre reported that three people had died. One person was killed when a tree fell on a car in Kenilworth, another person was killed when a tree fell in Genadendal, and a person drowned in Klaarstroom.

A second frontal system is expected to make landfall in Cape Town and the Winelands on Tuesday, bringing more rain and disruption to the Western Cape.

The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre received more than 930 calls to its emergency centre between 6am and 9.30am. There were multiple reports of roofs blown off in Mitchells Plain, Hanover Park and Wynberg.

Yaseen Adams, from Wynberg, said his pregnant wife was lying in bed when she heard a loud bang as their roof collapsed at around 9am. He was at work. An interior wall also collapsed. Adams said his house was “stuffed”.

He said their neighbour was rushed to hospital when their ceiling and a brick wall collapsed on him. “He’s okay. He just has a knock on his head,” said Adams.

By late morning, several informal settlements were flooded, including in Khayelitsha, Imizamo Yethu, Nomzamo, Phola Park, Gugulethu and Delft.

Across the metro, flooding, uprooted trees and broken branches blocked roads. In some places, live electrical wires could be seen on the ground.

The City noted that many drains were blocked and overflowing, causing roads to flood.

Gift of the Givers spokesperson Ali Sablay said they had been “inundated with calls for assistance from informal settlements across the Cape Metropole, Drakenstein and Franschhoek”.

Sablay said they were responding alongside local disaster management to severe flooding in Langrug informal settlement in Franschoek and Lwandle in Gordon’s Bay.

Disaster Risk Management Centre spokesperson Charlotte Powell said, “The situation is unfolding by the hour.” Assessments of damage and displacement had not yet been finalised at 3pm.

“Due to the conditions, some services are unable to conduct reinstatements or repairs and assessments as safety is a concern,” said Powell.

“City teams are doing the best that they can, weather permitting, to deal with the known impacts, chiefly of which are fallen trees, blocked or flooded roadways and power outages.”

Schools closed

In a statement on Monday, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) announced that all schools in the province would close on Tuesday. It also recommended that early childhood centres close.

“In the interests of learner and educator safety and after consultation with the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and South African Weather Service, the department has taken the decision to close all schools in the province tomorrow, 12 May 2026,” said the WCED.

Principals were asked to report any storm-related damage immediately.

“The WCED will continue to work closely with schools to ensure that teaching and learning programmes return to normal as quickly as possible. We appreciate the ongoing cooperation of all principals and will continue to work closely with schools to address any storm-related challenges.”

In Philippi’s Malema informal settlement, dozens of shacks were flooded with ankle-deep water. Nontembeko Lawu said all her furniture and electric appliances were damaged.

She said she had been awake since 3am when she sent her two children to stay with nearby relatives while she tried to clear her flooded home.

“It is not even June yet, but we are experiencing such floods. All my clothing and those of my children, and their books are wet. This is the kind of life we are experiencing in an informal settlement. Every winter this happens,” she said.

Around midmorning, Mthetheleli Peki, Lawu’s neighbour, was trying to remove water from his shack with buckets.

“I have been up since the early hours trying to move the water, but the rain won’t stop, and the water keeps coming,” he said.

Peki said he would have to abandon his shack and stay with relatives for the night.

“There are elderly people and people with disabilities here who have left their homes. What is happening here is terrible,” he said.

At Riverside informal settlement, situated within the nature reserve near the Diep River, opposite Parklands, the shack of pensioner Thizina Sidamba was destroyed by the storm, leaving the pensioner, her daughter, and three grandchildren homeless. DM

First published by GroundUp.