Overview
- The South African Weather Service issued high‑impact Level 8 warnings for parts of the Western and Eastern Cape, forecasting up to about 200mm of rain in some Garden Route areas over two days.
- Emergency services and provincial disaster management teams activated readiness plans and shelters, and authorities closed schools in Eden, Central Karoo and multiple Eastern Cape districts as a precaution.
- Disruptions reported on Thursday include overflowing dams such as Groot River Dam, rising rivers including the Keurbooms, 31 road closures in the Garden Route and localized power outages.
- Local municipalities carried out precautionary evacuations, moving people from low‑lying areas into community halls, while geospatial analysis flagged 22 informal settlements at high risk of losing road access if key crossings fail.
- This storm follows devastating early‑May floods that left catchments saturated and temporary repairs in place, which increases the chance of further infrastructure damage and community isolation as the system moves through.