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The Western Cape Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Department says the province is expecting a series of cold fronts with adverse weather conditions starting this weekend and continuing into most of next week. 

Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC, Anton Bredell, said the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) was briefed on Saturday by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) on the approaching weather systems.

The weather service has since issued several warnings for heavy rains and rains: 

• A level 4 warning for heavy rain and potential flooding over the western parts of the Western Cape on Sunday.
• A level 6 warning for high winds of between 80 and 90km/h over the western and south-western parts of the Western Cape on Sunday.
• A level 4 warning for winds of between 50 and 70km/h for the Namakwa district as well as the central and eastern parts of the province.
• A level 6 warning for waves between 6 and 8 metres along the coastline between Alexander Bay and Cape Agulhas from Sunday, spreading to Plettenberg Bay by the afternoon. 
• A level 4 warning for disruptive snowfall over the mountains of the Western Cape as well as the southern high ground of the Namakwa District on Sunday. 

Bredell said the PDMC is on standby and the various municipal district disaster centres are ready to be activated if needed. 

“Emergency, rescue and social services are prepared to respond to any eventualities,” the department said in a statement.

Ready to assist

Meanwhile, provincial departments are represented at the PDMC and will be ready to provide support if needed.

“The Department of Water and Sanitation said catchments and dam levels are being monitored closely and regular updates will be made to the PDMC as the weather systems develop.”

According to Bredell, strong winds, combined with rain-saturated soil increase the risks of trees and tall structures being toppled. 

In addition, the provincial department said various government services may be affected by the inclement weather and residents are asked to stay informed by monitoring the latest weather reports through trusted local news platforms and the local municipality’s social media pages. 

“Services are also being activated to support the vulnerable and those impacted by the inclement weather,” the MEC added.

Other provinces

According to the SAWS, very wet, cold and windy conditions associated with an intense cold front and steepening upper-air trough are expected to start affecting the Eastern Cape, the Northern Cape, the North West and Free State, spreading along the Lesotho border on Monday.

“The public and small stock farmers are advised that very cold conditions and snowfalls are expected,” the statement read.

The SAWS also issued a warning about high fire danger conditions that are expected over  theFree State, eastern parts of the Northern Cape, western parts of North West, Eastern Cape, south-western parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

Call for caution

In the meantime, residents have been urged to stay warm and safe. 

“With the end of the school holidays, many people may be travelling home. We ask residents to please be extremely cautious on the roads.

“Due to the combination of high winds, heavy rain, and snowfalls over high mountains expected, we urge residents to please reconsider travel and outdoor activities next week and avoid unnecessary travel,” the MEC cautioned. – SAnews.gov.za

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