- Chapman’s Peak Drive and the Huguenot Tunnel in the Western Cape have been closed to traffic as a result of strong winds.
- SA Weather Services released a Level 9 warning for damaging winds in many parts of the province.
- Disaster Management teams are on high alert.
Chapman’s Peak Drive in Cape Town, along with the Huguenot Tunnel on the N1 highway near Paarl, have been closed to traffic as gale-force winds wreak havoc in the Western Cape.
Cape Town Traffic Services spokesperson Kevin Jacobs said traffic officers are currently dealing with minor incidents and obstructions caused by the wind and adverse weather conditions.
“Officers are removing debris and branches from the roadway in various parts of the City,” he said.
Jacobs said this has led to two sections of Baden Powell Drive being closed to traffic.
“The road is closed between Strandfontein Road and Capricorn Circle in Muizenberg, as well as the stretch of roadway between Oscar Mpetha and Mew Way in Khayelitsha.”
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The Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works’ Head of Communications, Jandré Bakker, told News24 that the Huguenot Tunnel is currently closed to all traffic due to strong winds over the viaduct, as well as Chapman’s Peak Drive between Noordhoek and Hout Bay.
Strong winds also forced a truck’s trailer to be blown off a bridge on the N1 near the Huguenot Tunnel.
According to the SA National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL), powerful winds started on Saturday, with speeds in excess of 90km/h, and the truck lost its load when the wind blew the trailer section off the viaduct and down into the valley below.
“Strong winds have hampered the recovery operations of another vehicle blown over on the viaduct, and the tunnel was closed to all traffic until the obstruction on the viaduct had been removed,” added SANRAL.
The truck driver managed to exit the truck in time and was unharmed.
“We appeal to road users to exercise caution under these circumstances and to avoid the area where possible, especially given the increase in wind speeds today,” said Mike Vinello-Lippert, SANRAL’s project manager for the Huguenot Tunnel.
Capetonians took to social media to report damage to their homes due to the strong winds, with some posting pictures and footage of roofs being blown off across the city.
Roofs were also blown off along the popular Strand Beach Road while in Macassar a huge container from a sports field was blown onto the road surface, obstructing traffic in the area.
Jacobs said traffic officers were assisting in Main Road and Rankin Street in Strand, where roof sheeting was blown off a commercial premises.
Cape Town traffic officers have been out in full force assisting with incidents where trees have been uprooted across the city.
Streets that were affected include, Kramat Road and Old Main Road in Croydon, Macassar; Hildene Road in Tamboerskloof; Northpine Drive and Tokai Road in Northpine, as well as Oak Street and Andries Pretorius Street in Somerset West.
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Western Cape MEC of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, said the Provincial Disaster Management Centre is fully activated in anticipation of the cut-off low weather system which is expected to make landfall on Sunday evening with widespread downpours and strong winds over large parts of the province.
“We have been briefed by the South African Weather Services (SAWS), who indicated a general increase in severity of the weather system compared to their assessments yesterday,” said Bredell.
“We are now anticipating the impact to be more widespread over the province, and we are specifically bracing for Level 9 disruptive rains in the Overberg and southern parts of the Cape Winelands from Sunday evening into Monday,” he added.
SAWS released a Level 9 warning for damaging winds that will lead to structural damage, interruption of power, injury, and damage to life in many parts of the province on Sunday.
Bredell added that the Disaster Management Centre noted that the heavy rains on Sunday will increase the potential risks of flooding and damage to infrastructure when exposed to more heavy rains and strong winds on Monday.