A powerful storm hit the South African city of Cape Town and its surrounding regions on Thursday, tearing roofs off houses and causing extensive flooding.
Authorities reported that at least 4,500 people were displaced from their homes and approximately 33,000 structures were damaged. So far, 100,000 people have been affected.
The city and various NGOs have provided over 36,000 meals and distributed 6,000 blankets to those affected in the past two days, according to Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security.
South Africa’s Weather Service issued a Level 8 warning for heavy rain on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi visited flood-affected areas and expressed concern over the ongoing heavy rainfall. “With a Level 8 warning, it means the rain will continue and we do not want these communities to continue in this dire state where their shelters are submerged under water,” she stated.
Kubayi announced that affected residents will be relocated to a safe area for at least 30 days. During this period, “we [will] look at alternative land parcels where they can be permanently relocated to build a new life away from flood plains,” she added.
Schools in Cape Town and surrounding areas, including the wine-growing region of Stellenbosch, were closed due to extreme cold fronts from the Atlantic Ocean, which even caused snow to line the streets earlier in the week.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis reported that three major rivers in the province had burst their banks.
The devastating weather, which started a week ago, has been fueled by multiple cold fronts battering the southwest tip of Africa, resulting in gale-force winds and record rainfall. Cape Town’s authorities indicated that severe conditions are anticipated to continue for several days.
Meanwhile, the French shipping company CMA CGM reported that one of its vessels, the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, had lost 44 containers at sea due to severe weather off the Cape Coast of South Africa while voyaging from Asia to Europe. Thirty containers were also damaged, the company’s press service said.