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Ice seen on cars during adverse weather conditions.
The South African Police Service in the Northern Cape is urging residents to take extra precautions on the roads as icy weather conditions set in across parts of the province.
Police say snow and ice have already been reported along the N1 and N10 routes in the Pixley Ka Seme District, posing a serious risk to motorists and households.
Police Spokesperson Cherelle Ehlers provides a few road safety tips.
“Motorists are urged to exercise extreme caution. In terms of road safety, reduce speed and increase following distance to allow for adequate reaction time in case of sudden stops or changing road conditions. Use headlights at all times to enhance visibility and ensure your vehicle is visible to others. Ensure windshield wipers are functioning properly to maintain clear visibility. Be cautious of large vehicles that may reduce your visibility due to spray. In terms of home safety, ensure that all fires in fireplaces are extinguished and heaters are switched off before going to bed. Never sleep with burning candles.”
Western Cape weather
Meanwhile in the Western Cape, the South African Weather Services says the low weather system over the Garden Route and Little Karoo region is moving rapidly towards the eastern region.
However, rainfall and wind will still persist.
Uniondale in the Langkloof saw over 130mm of rain overnight, while some areas of Knysna received over 120 mm of rain.
Parts of George also saw rain in excess of 100mm.
Eskom is also dealing with power outages in several areas.
Disaster management head, Gerhard Otto, has urged motorists to still exercise caution on the roads.
“Our roads at this point, some of them are flooded and some of them are very slippery and inaccessible. Rain will still continue for the remainder of today but fortunately, it looks like the system is moving to the east very rapidly and from tomorrow, it will start clearing. We are still expecting about 30 to 50mm of rain in the eastern parts of the Garden Route District but it should be clearing soon during the day and better weather is on its way.”
Western Cape weather update:
-Report by Warren Engelbrecht, additional reporting by Sagree Chetty
