The Cape of Storms lived up to its name at the weekend as gale-force winds, relentless downpours, and lightning clobbered the homes of thousands.
In the Eastern Cape, the cold and rain of the past few days claimed the lives of a mother and her three-month-old baby in a Transkei village.
Vuyelwa Qhasha, a 29-year-old from Lower Brooksnek village, in Mount Ayliff, was found dead, reportedly drowned. Her three-month-old daughter, Chuma, was found a day later, also drowned.
This took the number of people in the Transkei area killed by cold and storms last week to five.
Though the weather is expected to improve today, it's just the calm before yet another storm.
The Weather Service says another cold front will hit Western Cape tomorrow.
The next front affecting Eastern Cape is forecast for Wednesday.
Isolated showers and thundershowers are expected over the province.
Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, of Cape Town's Disaster Risk Management Centre, said more than 5200 people were helped by relief teams on Saturday with -- among other necessities -- hot meals, clothing, blankets and roof sheeting.
Homes were flooded, roofs were blown off and Eskom transformers were damaged by lightening.
The affected areas included Bishop Lavis, Fish Hoek, Phillipi, Durbanville and Nyanga.
Yesterday, a 37-year-old Khayelitsha man was killed when his "back- yard structure" caught alight. Solomons-Johannes said he had been "burnt beyond recognition".
On Saturday, a Nyanga man was killed when his shack was destroyed by a fire.
Residents have been advised to dress warmly, seek medical attention if they have flu, and "keep a watchful eye" on open flames.
Dangerously fluctuating wind speed and direction, added to heavy rain caused the closure of Chapman's Peak Drive and people have been advised not to go hiking.
On Saturday, Western Cape Premier Helen Zille tweeted: "3 Eskom transformers damaged by lightning, affecting areas from Paarl to Cape Town. They are working to fix them. Apologies to all".
Eskom spokesman, Hillary Joffe could not be reached for comment.
Vanetia Phakula, a Weather Service forecaster, said extreme weather conditions for the rest of the country were not expected this week.
"Another cold front is coming and there is a 60% chance of rain [tomorrow] and on Wednesday.
The possibility might be higher than that but we'll know closer to the time," said Phakula.
"By Thursday it does start to moderate and on Friday, into the weekend, things will be much better."
The search for a missing Western Cape Emergency Medical Services worker from Montagu was hampered yesterday.
The woman, who was driving a non-emergency ambulance, crashed into the Kogmanskloof River on Tuesday.
Yesterday, EMS spokesman Keri Davids said the water level had risen so much that the search had been postponed because of "unsafe conditions".
The woman was to have collected patients in Ashton. - Additional reporting by Aphiwe de Klerk
- Times Live
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