It's Blazing Hot in Cape Town!

It’s Blazing Hot in Cape Town! –Nadia Ghumra

Tuesday’s heat left everyone exasperated as they moved from tutorial to tutorial, as many decided to skip out on lectures and flock to a swimming pool or the beach. Temperatures reached a whopping 42 degrees Celsius, thus deeming Cape Town the hottest city in the world at that time, and Jammie stairs probably the most deserted it’s ever been during lunch.

However, Wednesday saw temperatures dropping and even some light rain which leaves one puzzled as to how spontaneous the weather actually is here. On a typical basis, this would spark outrage on many people’s behalf, including mine, but due to the ongoing fires that have spread from Muizenberg all the way to Hout Bay, Tokai and Fish Hoek, this time I think the change was quite welcomed. The fire has engulfed hectares of vegetation and even ravaged buildings including a hotel and several private homes. Other homes, as well as retirement homes, have been evacuated as the fire rages on.

Firefighters and helicopters that are water bombing hot spots are battling to extinguish the flames which could take several days. Citizens were being advised to be mindful and not gather to observe the fire as it will cause blockades and make it difficult for rescuers to gain access to the roads. They also increase the risk of smoke inhalation and related issues.

As if all this isn’t enough, on Thursday the Great Westerford building was ablaze sparking rumours of a possible arson attack. These accusations led to the discussion of the possibility that the fire consuming the South Peninsula was also arson. This would seem unlikely, in my opinion, as weather conditions, such as the 42 degrees of heat, would suggest that the fires are unrelated.

However, the blazing fires have finally been doused this morning after a week. Although we have lost a great deal of flora, fauna and even some homes, we are grateful that fires around the Cape Peninsula are completely out. Local fire stations remain on standby and the burnt areas are being closely monitered.