Cape Town has urged residents in coastal areas to move their vehicles to higher ground, and to avoid roads, as sea swells of up to 12 metres are expected on Wednesday afternoon.
In a press statement, the city asked that property owners along the Atlantic Seaboard and False Bay coastline take special precautions to protect properties and businesses, according to AllAfrica.
Earlier this week, officials warned of a large winter storm sweeping in from the west of the country – describing it as one of “the biggest winter storms in a very long time”.
Schools have been closed, and safety warnings have been issued. The storm has not yet reached its peak, according to experts.
“We recommend that the public stay away from the coastline,” the statement from Cape Town reads.
Also warning that it call centre was receiving an abnormally high volume of calls enquiring about the adverse weather conditions.
Commuter rail service Metrorail has suspended all long-distance and freight operations, and many rail services across the western region have been suspended.
The South African Weather Service warned wind speeds between 60km/h – 80km/h can be expected with gusts up to 120km/h.
Rainfall between 15mm – 30mm was measured by 08:00 on Wednesday, with Grabouw receiving the highest amount of 63mm.
