Coastal sizzler brings fire and heat warnings

Janine Oelofse GARDEN ROUTE BUREAU CHIEF

GARDEN Route residents laboured under a heat wave yesterday as temperatures soared in the Western Cape, reaching 37°C in Oudtshoorn and between 29°C and 32°C along the coast.

Other towns in the Western Cape also experienced scorching temperatures, with Clanwilliam reaching over 40°C. The mercury hovered around 39°C in Cape Town.

The SA Weather Service issued a heat alert and a fire warning for the area from just south of Springbok, around the Cape to George and inland to Calvinia and Graaff-Reinet.

The UV Index, the measure of the sun‘s ultra-violet radiation strength, was “very dangerous”.

Western Cape education spokesman Millicent Merton said schools were allowed to close early in some of the hotter towns, with principals permitted to use their discretion.

Oudtshoorn resident Sarah Damons said it was extremely hot.

“We‘re not venturing out of our business,” she said. “We‘re just staying indoors with the air conditioner on full blast.”

Today, although the Garden Route will have some cloud cover, temperatures are expected to climb to 34°C in George, dropping back down to 24°C by Sunday.

In Oudtshoorn, the temperature will rise to 40°C by Sunday and drop to the low 30s next week.

But scorching temperatures are again expected to cause discomfort on Tuesday next week when the mercury will climb to 32°C in George and 39°C in Oudtshoorn.

Fires continued to burn on the mountains around Cape Town, Franschhoek and Paarl yesterday as temperatures soared.

The heatwave made matters worse for farmers who had been battling fires for three weeks. Three farms were gutted in Citrusdal, Piketberg and Moutons Hoek.

Earlier this week, Eastern Cape residents sweltered in a heat wave, with Uitenhage recording the highest temperature of 41°C. In Port Elizabeth, the mercury rose to 30,2°C.