Strong winds caused the Huguenot tunnel near Paarl to be closed to heavy vehicles on Friday. Winds here were at one stage blowing at a strength of more than 90 km/h.
The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) said in a statement on Friday that the Huguenot Tunnel has been closed since 10:30 on Friday due to strong winds that raged in the vicinity of the tunnel. By 15:00 the wind was still blowing at high speed and the tunnel was still closed. “We ask that road users drive carefully and avoid the area if possible.”
According to the weather service, strong winds will continue until at least Saturday.
The private firefighters Drakenstein Farm Watch confirmed that windy conditions in the Paarl on Friday led to the start of several fires in the field and forested areas. “The fire season this year is much longer than in the past. Temperatures are still high, no rain has fallen yet and the wind is blowing tremendously. Thousands of hectares have already burned this season, many houses and farms have been destroyed and many people are currently homeless or without a job,” reads a post on the organization’s Facebook page.
