(Cape Town) The extraordinary waves reached four meters on average: on the tourist coasts near Cape Town, strong tides combined with violent winds caused a powerful swell over the weekend, the water overtaking the dykes and flooding by places streets and houses.
A 92-year-old woman died in the bad weather which began on Saturday, reported Craig Lambinon, spokesperson for the sea rescuers (NSRI) interviewed by AFP on Sunday.
In a seaside restaurant in Kalk Bay, a fishing village nestled in a bay open to the Atlantic, about thirty kilometers from Cape Town, the water surprised the customers by rushing through the windows.
“I still have goosebumps,” admits Asemahle Daniels, a 26-year-old waitress. Rag in hand, she takes a break after spending a good part of Sunday morning mopping the floor.
On the pier, a handful of curious people observe with excitement the rollers which break on a lighthouse: “You have to see this with your own eyes at least once in your life”, exclaims Yuri Ray, 44 years old.
A rising tide, with a coefficient higher than average, can cause “high amplitude waves,” forecaster from the South African Institute of Meteorology, Lehlohonolo Thobela, told AFP.
In impressive images widely shared on social networks, water surging through the streets of several towns near Cape Town swept away trash cans and parked cars on Saturday.
The national meteorological institute has issued an alert on the country’s approximately 3,000 km of coastline until Monday. Emergency services called for caution and several beaches in the region were closed.