Residents in the drought-stricken Eastern Cape are rejoicing over much needed rainfall, including over the main catchment areas, while snow chasers were rewarded by light snowfall in some of the high-lying areas of the Eastern Cape, such as Middelburg and the Sneeuberge, just outside Graaff-Reinet.
According to the SA Weather Services’ own Weather Guru, Garth Sampson, rainfall measured in the catchment area over the past two days include 16.8ml in Joubertina and 32.2ml in Kareedouw. With the ground saturated from good rains over the past few weeks, good flow to the dams is expected.
In Gqeberha 25.8ml was measured at the airport, while 45.4ml had the Third Avenue Dip overflowing this morning. This was accompanied by bitter cold weather yesterday with a Newton Park resident, Grant Shearer, sharing a photo on facebook of ice pellets that fell last night.
It is expected that the rainfall will clear up from tonight and over the weekend.
The Sneeuberge area, just outside Graaff-Reinet was also covered in a blanket of snow, and yesterday it was still snowing lightly.
Dam levels as reported today, July 20, are: Churchill Dam (57.64%), Impofu Dam (9.74%), Loerie Dam (100%), Kouga Dam (43.54%) and Groendal Dam (100%). The combined capacity is 35.55% with 31.13% available.
