Huge Storm in Cape Town Wreaks Havoc

A massive storm in Cape Town, in the Western Cape, South Africa, has wreaked havoc on several homes, buildings and roads. It has also caused flash flooding in several areas in the Western Cape.

The storm first made landfall in the Western Cape late last night, and brought heavy rains, thunderstorms and winds of up to 75 km/h.

People have shared photographs and videos of the damage to their homes on social media.

Roofs have been blown off, walls have collapsed and trees have been uprooted. There has also been severe flooding in the informal settlements around Cape Town.

In the Imizamo Yethu informal settlement in Hout Bay, 15 people have been displaced.

Emergency services in the Cape Town metropole said that there have been a evacuations in several communities and that a handful of people have been taken to hospital for injuries.

One such incident involved a mother and her young child who were injured when the roof of their home blew off.

Train services have also been suspended in the Cape Town area, and some roads have been closed including the Huguenot Tunnel on the N2 close to Paarl.

The famed Chapman’s Peak Drive has also been closed due to possible mudslides and rockfalls.

The City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) has said that ocean swells of up to 13 metres can be expected along the Atlantic Seaboard, and has warned residents in low-lying areas close to the ocean of possible damage to their homes.

They have urged people with vehicles parked near the ocean to move their cars to higher ground.

All schools in the Western Cape have been closed for the day, and many companies have allowed their employees to work from home.

The DRMCt has warned that the worst of the storm is yet to come and that residents should prepare themselves for extremely strong winds, flash flooding and heavy rains.