The SAWS has warned of disruptive rain in Cape Town from Sunday night into Monday.

• The weather warning for Cape Town is now at Orange Level 8 for disruptive rain from Sunday night into Monday.
• Residents are urged to heed the warnings.
• An Orange Level 5 warning was also issued for damaging winds.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has escalated its weather warning for Cape Town to Orange Level 8 for disruptive rainfall expected from Sunday evening into Monday.

According to Disaster Risk Management spokesperson Charlotte Powell, the elevated warning signals a high likelihood of significant impacts, including flooding of roads, low-lying bridges, and both formal and informal settlements.

In addition, SAWS has issued an Orange Level 5 warning for damaging winds over the same period.

Powell said:

Powell said the City’s Disaster Coordinating Team (DCT) would convene on Sunday morning to coordinate responses to the anticipated weather-related impacts across Cape Town.

On Friday, SAWS had warned of severe weather conditions expected from Sunday to Tuesday.

This included an Orange Level 6 warning for disruptive rainfall, leading to flooding of roads, low-lying bridges, and formal and informal settlements in Cape Town.

It also included the warning for damaging winds and waves, posing a danger to navigation at sea and potential damage to coastal infrastructure along the coast between Lambert’s Bay and Plettenberg Bay.

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Powell said residents were urged to monitor official updates on social media and through trusted media platforms.

The SAWS uses an impact-based, colour-coded warning system to indicate the severity and likelihood of hazardous weather.

Yellow indicates a moderate risk of impact, which requires caution and awareness, while orange indicates that a higher-risk impact is expected, requiring increased attention and preparation.

The SAWS uses the numbers to indicate the likelihood of weather-based impacts occurring. Level 8 represents a severe impact but low likelihood.