Stellenbosch will experience a break from heavy rain until the morning of 17 June, after experiencing the worst rainfall in 45 years, which caused the Eerste River to break its banks.
No lives were lost, as a result of flooding, in the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM), said Elna von Schlicht, executive mayor of the CWDM, in a media statement released on 16 June.
Between 08:00 on 15 June and 08:00 on 16 June, the area received 14.6 mm of rain. This was according to Kanyisa Makubalo from the Cape Town branch of the South African Weather Service.
A cold front that will bring more rain is expected to hit the area on the night of 16 June. It is predicted to lead to a further 20 to 30 mm of rain, primarily on the morning of 17 June, said Makubalo.
According to Stellenbosch Municipality, all roads in the area are open, except for the Franschhoek Pass, which remains closed due to damage from the heavy rain.
On the morning of Friday, 16 June, the rain had subsided, but the effects of the rain were still visible along the Eerste River. Below are a series of photos taken on Friday morning along the river, showing the impacts of the flooding.
While it has not been verified, it is believed that the Eerste River’s waterline was higher than had previously been recorded, said Dr Jan de Waal, a lecturer at the department of geography and environmental studies at Stellenbosch University. PHOTO: Daniel Roodt.
Private contractors have been employed by the municipality to repair the banks of the Eerste River after the river came down in flood on 14 June following heavy rain, observed SMF News. PHOTO: Daniel Roodt
“Projections suggest that despite an overall drying trend in the Western Cape, extreme events are likely to increase in the future. In other words, the rainfall we are likely to get in the future might be less [in quantity] but more intense,” said Dr Jan de Waal, a lecturer at the department of geography and environmental studies at Stellenbosch University. PHOTO: Daniel Roodt.
No water from any of the dams operated by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) was released into the Eerste River, said Malusi Rayi, deputy director of communications at the DWS. PHOTO: Daniel Roodt
Extreme weather events in the Western Cape are likely to increase in the future, due to the effects of climate change, said Dr Jan de Waal, a lecturer at the department of geography and environmental studies at Stellenbosch University. PHOTO: Daniel Roodt.