Update #2: 1.40pm: Because Cape Town is, well, Cape Town, #rain is now among the top trending hashtags in the city and the country at present.
Update #1, 1.15pm: Although today’s weather is a welcome respite from the heat wave experienced last week, lightning and driving rain has been wreaking havoc across the peninsula.
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In West Beach, a palm tree was set alight by lightning.
Cape Town – #STORM Lightning Strike in West Beach pic.twitter.com/InHD0Xc725
— TrafficSA (@TrafficSA) April 26, 2017
Areas in the Cape’s northern suburbs and western coastline are experiencing mild floods.
Neil Williams – Brackenfell Cape Town @venter_annette @huisgenoot @eNCAWeather @JoelGuy_ pic.twitter.com/XCKWyK0CWc
— Storm Report SA (@StormReportSA1) April 26, 2017
Jessie Jean – Bloubergstrand @venter_annette @eNCAWeather @JoelGuy_ pic.twitter.com/k4xe1r1whJ
— Storm Report SA (@StormReportSA1) April 26, 2017
Much of the Royal Cape Golf Club in Ottery is also well-watered.
The much needed rain in Cape Town has finally arrived. (pic: @royalcapegolf) pic.twitter.com/oBEyzqm7Zv
— Compleat Golfer (@CompleatGolfer) April 26, 2017
Roads across the city remain waterlogged and slippery.
#CPTTraffic Wet and slippery roads in Cape Town. Maintain a safe following distance, reduce speed and keep headlights on. #Flooding #Raining pic.twitter.com/JxwoJQPNBz
— Netstar Traffic (@netstartraffic) April 26, 2017
Lightning remains active across the metropolitan area at the time of writing.
Original article: You don’t often see rain in Cape Town nowadays, let alone a thunderstorm. But today, Capetonians woke up to both.
A low pressure system currently twirling its way south-west of the city is bringing some unusual weather to the city today. And people on social media are out in full force to capture their experiences.
A number of tweets began streaming through Twitter around 10am, as thunder and lightning was heard and seen across the peninsula.
The view of Table Mountain we’ve been raindancing for since 2016. Now sommer with #thunder bolts and #lightning. So bohemian of @CapeTown pic.twitter.com/Qmn3Dh6GCQ
— Adriaan Bester (@aiBester) April 26, 2017
Drought breaking rain over Cape Town pic.twitter.com/nzSGF4bykC
— Hansel Dunlop (@hanseldunlop) April 26, 2017
This rain is so beautiful. Well done, Cape Town. (Also I forgot to water the plants on my balcony so, thanks.)
— Ruthi (@TheVioletTruth) April 26, 2017
Some thought they they woke up in Johannesburg this morning, recalling the last time they experienced a thunderstorm in the city.
Cape Town’s awash with rain, storm clouds and avid social media users capturing the weather
“Thunderstorms in Cape Town. We never hear any thunder here. It’s so rare,” one user tweeted.
Am I hearing thunder outside. Wow, Cape Town this is a first. Don’t like thunder.
— Wisani Mushwana (@Wisaniirvin) April 26, 2017
Thunderstorms in Cape Town. We never hear any thunder here. It’s so rare
— B I E T J I E (@OreeGill) April 26, 2017
Thunder and loud dramatic rain… in Cape Town. Feels like Joburg.
— Zelia Michaels (@Z_lia) April 26, 2017
LOVING CAPE TOWN WEATHER RIGHT NOW!!!!
— Aydee (@AydeeMaybrew) April 26, 2017
The thunder and lightning in Cape Town is so weird …
— toni. (@tonia_ctn) April 26, 2017
Others grinned the city’s typically edgy weather patterns.
That’s Cape Town for you… it’s so dry we don’t have any water left, but it WILL rain on the one day you’re attending an outdoor concert.
— Alet JvRensburg (@alet87) April 26, 2017
While some expressed their delight in the best way possible: emoji.
Cape Town
— Yonwabisa Pango
(@uYonwabisa) April 26, 2017
it’s wet in Cape Town need some crepes / pannekoek asap – it what this cold & wet day ask for! — Leah Beauty (@LeahBeauty_za) April 26, 2017
Instagram users also got in on the excitement too, with a number of videos and snaps of wet landscapes flooding the social site.
A post shared by
(@michellejflynn) on
#storm approaching #vandawaterfront #capetown #harbour
A post shared by @wendyviola2 on
Welcoming the rain, thunderstorm, grey sky in Cape Town #rain #atlast #capetown
A post shared by France (@franceolicard) on
A post shared by Rowen Cole † (@kingcole_m3) on
According to the South African Weather Service, the stormy weather is likely to last for much of today, but is expected to clear by tomorrow.
With the City of Cape Town announcing this week that dam levels have fallen to 23%, it goes without saying that this rain is extremely important.
This is a developing story. Refresh the page for updates.
