By Anita Dangazele
- Wild winds reaching 140 kilometres per hour and giant eight metre waves are crashing into the Southern Cape coast today.
- The government has declared a national disaster across six provinces to help rescue teams after storms killed 10 people already.
Wild winds and massive waves are battering the coastline today. A second cold front has made landfall, bringing more destruction to communities already reeling from a deadly weekend.
In Mossel Bay, winds reaching up to 140 kilometres per hour are ripping through the area. Giant waves up to eight metres high are crashing against the shore. The storm is uprooting trees, tearing off roofs and knocking out power.
In Nelson Mandela Bay, the municipality has warned residents to stay indoors. Strong gale force winds are ripping roofs off houses and collapsing boundary walls.
The fresh chaos comes just as the government declared a national disaster. Severe weather has already killed 10 people across six provinces.
National Disaster Management Centre acting head Thabo Khupari said officials have set up emergency shelters in the Eastern Cape to save lives.
The deadly storms have hit the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, North West and Mpumalanga.
In Cape Town, a woman was hurt when a tree crushed her car in Plattekloof. Flooded roads, blocked drains and dark streets are making travel dangerous. The Vygieskraal Canal has started to overflow.
Relief group Gift of the Givers is helping 6,000 storm victims in Cape Town. Project manager Ali Sablay said the wind tore the roofs off flats and homes in Lwandle.
The freezing weather is driving desperate people to seek cover. Haven Night Shelter boss Shaddie Valayadum said 60 homeless men rushed to them in the last two weeks.
To stop more deaths, the Western Cape closed all public schools on Tuesday. MEC David Maynier said they made the move to keep learners and teachers safe from mudslides and fast flowing rivers.
In the Eastern Cape, the wind snapped Eskom poles in half. Homes are sitting in the dark as officials struggle to reach broken power lines safely.
Pictured above: Gale force winds and heavy rainfall leave a trail of destruction in Cape Town.
Image source: City of Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis/Facebook Page
