Residents of Strand, Somerset West, and Gordon’s Bay are picking up the pieces this Monday morning as severe winds continue to lash the region, uprooting trees, damaging property, and forcing road closures.

Fallen trees have been reported across the entire Helderberg area. Significant obstructions affected traffic flow on busy routes including Broadway Road and Sarel Cilliers Street during peak traffic. Debris was also blocking Onverwacht Road near the N2 in Somerset West.

The most dramatic scene unfolded at Beaumont Primary School, where a massive tree was uprooted by a powerful gust. The tree crashed into the school building, causing visible structural damage.

Multiple cars parked in the vicinity were crushed under the weight of the fallen timber. Fortunately, no injuries have been confirmed at this stage,

Despite no official instruction to close schools by the Western Cape Department of Education, several schools in the area including Parel Vallei High School in Somerset West and Strand Secondary have instructed learners to leave for home early this morning.

Officials officially closed Clarence Drive at 09:15 today. The closure is a safety precaution following reports of dangerously high winds and sporadic rockfalls along the mountain pass.

There were also reports of portion of house roof blown onto the R44 outside Betty’s Bay.

Sub-Council 8 chairperson Chantel Cerfontein said that damages have been reported throughout the Helderberg, where fallen trees are causing the most concern.

“Flooding has also been reported in Lwandle and Nomzamo. I am preparing for an oversight visit through the Helderberg a bit later today,” she said.

Traffic Services Spokesperson, Kevin Jacobs said on Monday morning that operations at several City Driving Licence Testing Centres have been affected today by a combination of weather and network issues.

Centres that are affected include: Goodwood, Somerset West, Atlantis, Durbanville, Brackenfell, Kuilsriver, Lingelethu West, Joe Gqabi, Milnerton and Hillstar.

The South African Weather Service warnings remain active across the province as additional rain and strong winds continue moving through the region.

Emergency services remain on standby and the Disaster Coordinating Team has been activated to monitor conditions and coordinate emergency responses.

Residents are urged to follow official updates and report emergencies to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre: 021 480 7700