The storm that struck Cape Town on Wednesday night wreaked havoc throughout the metropolis, local media reported.
According to Sonica Lategan, spokesperson for the City of Cape Town's Disaster Risk Management, there were numerous reports of flooded and blocked roads, waterlogged homes, and electricity outages.
The Public Emergency Communication Center reportedly recorded 339 incidents from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday, with over 40% of the calls concerning the adverse weather's potential impacts.
According to Maxine Bezuidenhout, the spokesman for the Cape Town Traffic Services, there have been many reports of floods and traffic blockages during the night.
“Reports of impacted roads will likely increase as the morning wears on. While we expect lower-than-usual traffic volumes on the roads, motorists are urged to not let their guard down and to be incredibly cautious,” he was quoted as saying.
Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis echoed earlier comments made by Ramaphosa in regard to climate change.
“You know, we had that terrible four-year drought just a few years ago, where we came close to running out of water. Now, for the last three years, we've had unbelievably wet winters. This is the wettest winter in probably 20 [years] or so. And last year was the [...] wettest winter, so it's just really weird the way that the climate is responding or behaving at the moment,” he said.
He also intends to initiate legal proceedings to remove "illegal occupants" who have built homes on top of municipal infrastructure. He argued that these structures obstruct drains and exacerbate flooding in the area.
The province is expected to see more rain on Thursday.
Nigeria faced a similar problem: heavy rainfall caused flooding in the Iyana-Oworo and Olopo Meji areas in the city of Lagos. Flooding has made the road almost impassable, causing traffic jams and inconvenience for commuters.