The Western Cape government urges residents to use water sparingly amid a warmer than usual winter.
A Provincial Disaster Management Report shows below-normal rainfall and unseasonably warm temperatures experienced during the first half of the province’s traditional rainfall season.
This has left Western Cape dam levels substantially lower compared to the same time last year.
The Department of Water and Sanitation recently confirmed the province’s dams were around 63% full, down from about 76% a year ago.
The South African Weather Service also forecasts a high likelihood of continued below-normal rainfall for the next few months, which the provincial government warns could lead to water scarcity.