Western Cape Premier Alan Winde. Picture: Gallo Images/Die Burger/Jaco Marais Western Cape Premier Alan Winde briefed the media on Thursday about critical water shortages affecting multiple municipalities and an unusually intense fire season that has already exceeded annual budgets. Winde announced that the provincial government is seeking a disaster classification to strengthen emergency response efforts.
The province experienced below-normal rainfall throughout 2025, with particularly dry conditions from May onwards. Lebogang Makgati from the South African Weather Service (Saws) confirmed that “2025 received below normal rainfall conditions for the province of the Western Cape.” She revealed that forecasts indicate these conditions will persist into the coming months. According to Makgati, below-normal rainfall is anticipated to continue through the early winter period, particularly affecting the southwestern parts of the province and extending to the southern coastal regions.
“Please note that the below normal rainfall does not mean there won’t be any rain. We will experience some rain. There would still be isolated incidents of extreme rainfall events,” she explained.
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However, average conditions are expected to remain below normal, posing ongoing risks to water security. The drought has severely impacted dam levels across the region. According to the Head of Department (HOD) for the Western Cape Department of Local Government, Graham Paulse, combined provincial dam levels currently stand at approximately 58%, compared to 80% at the same time last year.
“We do track the dam levels on a regular basis,” Paulse explained, notingweekly coordination with the Department of Water and Sanitation. Several municipalities now face critical water shortages. Knysna, categorised as high risk, was declared a local disaster on 16 January.
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