Parts of Western Cape on high alert as Level 8 weather warning remains in place for Monday

NATIONAL NEWS - The Western Cape Government met today with the Provincial Disaster Management Centre to coordinate disaster readiness measures in response to severe weather warnings issued by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) for two intense cold fronts expected to impact parts of the province from today until Tuesday.

According to SAWS, today’s cold front is bringing less severe weather than initially anticipated.

However, the Impact-Based Warnings issued for Monday into Tuesday remain in effect. The cold fronts are expected to bring heavy rainfall, strong winds, and rough sea conditions.

The following warnings remain in force:

An Orange Level 8 Warning for disruptive rainfall and flooding along the escarpment, impacting the City of Cape Town and municipalities including Drakenstein, Stellenbosch, the western parts of Theewaterskloof, Breede Valley and Witzenberg. Some mountainous areas could receive between 200mm and 300mm of rain during this period.
An Orange Level 6 Warning for strong to gale-force winds, with gusts of up to 100–120 km/h along the coastline. These conditions are expected to result in rough sea conditions, with wave heights of between 4m and 6m on Sunday, increasing to between 6.5m and 7.5m on Monday.
An Orange Level 5 Warning for strong winds gusting up to 100–120 km/h over parts of the Cape Winelands and the western parts of the Central Karoo. These conditions may result in falling trees and damage to infrastructure.

The Provincial Disaster Management Centre has activated coordination mechanisms across all districts and within the City of Cape Town, with all disaster management centres placed on high alert ahead of the approaching weather system.

Municipalities and response agencies are actively preparing for possible flooding, road closures, wind damage, and disruptions to essential services.

Ongoing response efforts in the Garden Route continue to focus on humanitarian assistance, infrastructure restoration, and support to affected communities.

The Western Cape Government welcomes the National Disaster Classification issued by the National Disaster Management Centre in response to the widespread impact of recent rainfall in the Garden Route and surrounding areas.

This classification will enable more effective budget allocation and improved transversal cooperation between spheres of government and departments in addressing the aftermath of the storm.