Major thunderstorm expected in the Western Cape

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned of a major thunderstorm on Thursday that’s expected to impact the Garden Route, Karoo, Cape Winelands and Overberg regions of the Western Cape.

The storm is expected to last for a period of two days.

The storm will bring rain, strong gusty winds, severe lightning and large amounts of hail.

⚠️Yellow + Orange warnings for severe thunderstorms valid for this afternoon and evening for parts of WC and NC. Localized flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas, bridges, mountain passes (especially Meiringspoort pass) and localized damage to infrastructure possible. pic.twitter.com/ht795oudeG

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) October 21, 2021

⛈Afternoon satellite image (21 October 2021). Large parts of the Northern and Western Cape provinces experiencing thunderstorms this afternoon and will continue this evening. Some of these storms will become severe and lead to flooding, hail and damaging winds. pic.twitter.com/fUDPhoKiZ9

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) October 21, 2021

Western Cape Minister of Environmental Affairs MEC, Anton Bredell, says the expected rainfall is welcomed.

“This is a massive drought-affected region, so we are very grateful for the rain that’s projected but we must warn the public about the high likelihood of severe disruptions due to the severity of the storm. Localised flooding can be expected in areas, especially the Meiringspoort. We urge the public to use extreme caution when travelling around the affected regions for the next two days,” says Western Cape Local Government Spokesperson, James Brent-Styan.

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