Flames to floods: Watch as severe weather causes havoc across SA

One of the oldest wine farms in the country has been gutted by flames, while schools in the Cape Winelands district, Overberg and Helderberg basin will be closed tomorrow.

This as severe weather conditions have affected several parts of the country.

Fire guts historic wine farm

Blaauwklippen, a wine farm in Stellenbosch founded in 1682, was gutted by a fire that reportedly started on a neighbouring farm. In a statement posted on the farm’s Facebook page, it is said the fire broke out early this morning and was carried to the farm by gale-force winds.

“The fire spread to the manor house from the dam’s side, then to the Jonkershuis and, eventually, the cathedral. All three buildings have burnt to the ground,” reads the statement.

Six firefighting teams, including Blaauwklippen’s Disaster Management team, and people from neighbouring farms were on the scene within minutes to attend to the fire, one of five in the area. Fortunately, despite battling winds of up to 139km per hour, there were no injuries, although the ‘destruction is devastating’.

The property will be closed to the public until further notice.

Schools to be closed

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said in a statement that schools in the Cape Winelands district, Overberg and Helderberg basin will be closed tomorrow as a precaution.

“The affected schools will communicate with the parents of their learners with regards to closures,” he said.

Winde explained that schools in other areas could be closed, but this would be on a case-by-case basis, following the relevant approvals from the Western Cape Education Department. Independent schools and early childhood development centres are also urged to follow the department’s lead, said the premier.

“This was not an easy decision, as we always want our children in schools learning, but given the severity of the weather system and advice from authorities, schools in these regions will be closed on Monday,” said Winde.

The statement adds that some hospitals suffered wind damage, but will remain operational

Weather woes continue

The South African Weather Service warned on Thursday that an intense cut-off low was expected to develop along the west coast of the country from yesterday afternoon. “It will then move over the Northern Cape on Sunday, reach the interior of the Western Cape on Monday, and exit along the southern coast of the Western Cape on Tuesday,” the statement read.

In its travellers’ forecast for tomorrow, four warnings have been issued:

• Orange level 9 warning for disruptive rain resulting in widespread flooding expected over the Overberg and the southern Cape Winelands.
• Orange level 6 warning for disruptive rain resulting in floods over the City of Cape Town, Swartland, and Witzenberg municipalities in the Western Cape.
• Orange level 6 warning for severe thunderstorms with possible heavy downpours over the northern interior of the Eastern Cape, as well as over the extreme eastern parts of the Northern Cape, western and central parts of North West, as well as over the southern and central parts of Free State.
• Yellow level 4 warning for wind and waves between Saldanha Bay and Plettenberg Bay. These could lead to difficulty in navigation at sea.

That is in addition to persistent showers and thundershowers that may lead to flooding over the central and eastern parts of the country into Tuesday.

More videos and photos

Danny van der Westhuizen’s video shows roads being flooded in Maokeng (Kroonstad) in the Free State: