South Africa is in for a rough week as several winter storms are expected to hit the country.
The Western Cape is bracing itself for flooding in some areas and dangerous conditions along the coast.
Residents have been advised to practise “extreme caution” around the coastline which will experience strong gale-force winds, rough seas, heavy sea swells and big surf conditions, exacerbated by a full moon spring tide.
The stormy conditions are expected to be accompanied by light snowfall in the mountains.
Warning
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) issued the warning after the SA Weather Service posted alerts.
The NSRI’s Craig Lambinon urged mense to only go to the beach if absolutely necessary, and to have the emergency phone number, 112, programmed into their cellphone.
City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management spokeswoman Charlotte Powell said they were on “high alert” and standing by with a winter readiness programme designed to relieve the most vulnerable areas in the city.
Powell said the most high-risk areas were the informal settlements in Khayelitsha, Philippi, Strand and Masiphumelele.
The SA Weather Service is expecting heavy rainfall and flooding over the Eden and Overberg districts, spreading to the Cape Metropole, Cape Winelands and West Coast district.
Ceres will see the chilliest drop to 1ºC and the Cape Flats will see a minimum of 8ºC.