Worst of weather over for PE

While for most of the country weather-wise, it is a case of things getting worse before they get better, it would appear that the Eastern Cape – including Port Elizabeth – could escape further lashing from the weather gods.

The SA Weather office said the warning of freezing weather conditions which was in place on Monday had been lifted for Tuesday.

Heavy rainfall which had lashed Cape Town the last few days, wreaking havoc in many communities, would also not be reaching us, forecaster Deon van der Mescht said.

According to Van der Mescht, most of the Eastern Cape will experience clear weather on Tuesday and Wednesday, but frost is expected in places in the interior in the morning.

The intense cold front which gathered strength as it swept over the Western Cape and the southern Northern Cape‚ spread into the Eastern Cape on Monday, moving to the southern Free State and northwestern KwaZulu-Natal, according to the weather service.

The public and small stock farmers are advised that very cold conditions with snowfalls as well as wet and windy conditions are expected.

Strong interior winds are expected over the southern parts of the Northern Cape‚ Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.

Many places had been transformed into winter wonderlands, with residents in the Western Cape increasingly flocking to the Ceres area for snowfall sightings, despite flooding and cold.

Ceres Tourism marketing manager Imilda Ontong said the town was receiving high volumes of visitors.

“We usually get this kind of crowd when we have snow – it is mostly people from around the province.

“So far, we have not heard of any casualties or road assistance requests‚” Ontong said. This is very good news for business.

“It has been raining constantly since Saturday afternoon and it is still raining,” the secretary at the Theewater Sports Club in Villiersdorp, Lise Wheeler, said.

“The mountains‚ I saw this morning‚ were covered in snow.” She said it was freezing.

“The drought affected us b a d ly ‚ but now with the recent rainfalls we have many visitors to see for themselves how the dam is filling.”

There are reports of rescues at Theronsberg pass‚ which links Ceres with Karoopoort.

In Cape Town, roads across the city were flooded after heavy rainfalls.

Flooding had occurred due to the water being prevented from entering the gully‚ which is the entry point into the stormwater system‚ as a result of obstructions at the mouth of the catch-pit or gully.

This was confirmed by the mayoral committee member for transport and urban development, Brett Herron.

“Our teams are on high alert and are attending to the incidents as we become aware of them.

“We are also working in close collaboration with other city departments. “The roads and stormwater depots are clearing roadways and unblocking drains‚” Herron said.