City cautioned to expect heavy rainfall

Published 9th June 2016

The South African Weather Service has predicted heavy rainfall, with the bulk due to fall overnight. The City is on standby to respond to any incidents. Read more below:

The City of Cape Town and applicable external agencies are on alert to deal with the consequences of unfavourable weather predicted for Cape Town overnight.

The South African Weather Service has issued an advisory which includes:
· Heavy rainfall in places over the mountainous areas of the Cape metropole
· Strong winds in places over the Central Karoo and Cape Winelands
· Disruptive snowfalls over the high lying areas of the Western and Northern Cape

‘Cape Town needs all the rain it can get to increase our dam levels, but we also have a duty to ensure that we are ready to react to any fallout from heavy downpours and the like. Our Disaster Risk Management Centre will coordinate any response that’s required.‘I appeal to the public to work with us by reporting any incident as soon as possible, but also to ensure that they have implemented measures around their homes to mitigate the risk of potential flooding. It has been very dry thus far this winter, so people might have been a bit lax, but it’s important to be prepared,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

Residents are encouraged to:
· clear out drainage systems on their properties
· raise the floor level of their homes so that it is higher than the land outside
· move to higher ground if they stay in a flood-prone area
· dig trenches around the house to divert water away from the home
· report blocked drains, intakes and illegal dumping
· waterproof roofs, clear gutters and remove dead tree branches

Any emergency or distress call can be reported to the City’s 107 emergency number from a Telkom line. Cellphone users need to dial 021 480 7700.