From the news desk

Rain floods Cape Town roads as cold front hits – with more rain expected

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Overnight rain in parched Cape Town has resulted in flash flooding and the closure of some roads in the city.

“I don’t have much information for you. I only [know] about flooding in Koeberg Road,” provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa told News24.

He said that the Huguenot Tunnel was closed for traffic due to a power failure.

The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre said multiple roads were flooded in Cape Town.

“Numerous roadways are flooded across the metropole. Roadways in urban areas have [been] really blocked,” spokesperson Charlotte Powell told News24 on Thursday morning.

She highlighted parts of the N1 and N2, as well as 35th Street and Halt Road in Elsies River, as having localised flooding.

Informal settlements in low-lying areas were also subjected to flooding.

“Informal settlements in low-lying areas are always a concern for us. They are in discomfort. We will be making assessments this morning and standby crews are out on roads already,” said Powell.

On social media, Twitter users highlighted flooding on the roads around Cape Town.

The South African Weather Service predicted an 80% chance of rain for Thursday, as a strong cold front made landfall.

The city is in the grip of a drought that has seen dam levels drop to just 20% and strict water restrictions being imposed on residents.

In terms of traffic, Google Maps showed typical strong delays on the N1 heading into the city as well as on the N2 at the Mowbray Golf Club and the M5 north-bound past Athlone.

The M3 up toward the Wynberg Hill is also slow-moving.

Traffic movement in Cape Town is also compounded by a national bus strike that has left several thousand commuters stranded.

[Source: News24]
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