The Western Cape’s overall dam levels have surged to 71.47%, marking a dramatic recovery from the critically low 44.94% recorded in early May this year, according to the latest data compiled on 1 June.

The impressive 26.53 percentage point increase comes after devastating floods swept through the province between 10 and 14 May, killing at least 10 people and leaving more than 7 400 people in emergency shelters. Farmers described the floods as the worst in a century.

The Cape Town Water Supply System, which provides water to the metro and surrounding areas, has shown an equally impressive recovery, surging from just 47.78% in early May to 71.95% by 1 June – a gain of more than 24 percentage points in less than a month.

Theewaterskloof Dam, the largest in the province and accounting for 54% of the Cape Town water supply system, has rebounded from a worrying 43.2% in late April to 73.29% currently. The dam recorded 60.51% at the same time last year, meaning it is now 12.78 percentage points higher than June 2025 levels.

Other key dams in the Cape Town system have recorded even more spectacular gains. Wemmershoek Dam has nearly doubled from 49.47% before the floods to 96.71% currently, compared to just 53.65% last year. Berg River Dam surged from a low of 42.3% in late April to 75.86%, well above last year’s 67.38%.

However, not all dams showed year-on-year improvement. Steenbras Upper Dam declined from last year’s 89.19% to the current 81.22%, though it has recovered significantly from its 58.4% level in late April. Voëlvlei Dam is at 59.63%, having climbed from 50.28% before the floods, but still only marginally higher than last year’s 58.42%.

The Olifants/Doorn River Catchment has recorded the most dramatic transformation, surging from a critically low 23.43% before the floods to 80.74% currently. This represents an extraordinary 57.31 percentage point increase in less than a month, and is vastly improved from last year’s 30.10%.

The Gouritz River Catchment is now at 96.69%, up from 71.41% last year, while the Breede River Catchment has recovered from 44.04% in early May to 64.20%, compared to 53.04% last year.

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Eighteen dams across the province are currently at or above full capacity, including Misverstand Dam at 114.10%, Gamkapoort Dam at 102.49%, and Eikenhof Dam at 101.30%.

The province is now bracing for another weather event, with the South African Weather Service issuing an orange level 8 warning for disruptive rain expected along the Garden Route coast between Mossel Bay and Plettenberg Bay on Wednesday and Thursday, 3 and 4 June.

A cut-off low is forecast to bring cold, wet and windy conditions to the Garden Route District, with warnings of potential flooding, mudslides and displacement of settlements. A yellow level 4 warning has been issued for the eastern parts of the Central Karoo, western Garden Route and Swellendam Municipality.

While the severe weather poses risks to communities still recovering from the May disaster, the additional rainfall could provide further relief to the province’s water reserves as winter progresses.

The dramatic improvement in dam levels offers significant relief for water security in the Western Cape, though authorities continue to urge conservative water use as the region recovers from one of its worst flooding events in a century.

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