One of the Cape's best kept secrets is that during June and July and especially during the school holidays, we can experience wonderful balmy days with warm sunshine and no wind. Temperatures can reach 25 degrees C. and then one wonders why so many leave the Cape to go away for the holidays. It is a bit chilly for swimming, I suppose. However, just as easily and quickly one can awake to heavy skies and exciting thunder storms, with streaks of lightning. This might be followed by rain in abundance, which often causes rivers to burst their banks and general flooding of roads, especially in the low lying areas of the Cape Flats. Water cascades down the famous Table Mountain into the rivers and underground springs pop up in certain suburbs, most notably in Newlands, flooding houses and gardens and quickly causing swimming pools and ponds to overflow. Storm water drains are unable to cope with the extra volumes of water and raging torrents quickly build up, sometimes making it impossible for people to get into or out of their homes. Just as quickly, these storms abate and one has a period of relative calm and one or two of those beautiful sunny days mentioned earlier. The Cape Peninsula has nine different climatic regions and it is not unusual for Capetonians to experience all four seasons in a single day!
Here are some photographs sent to me by my friend Deidi that illustrate these incredible storms.
Isn't this sky incredible?
What a beautiful light...
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