Gordons Bay Fire Pictures and Video

Gale force South Easters have been fanning fires in the Gordons Bay area since the weekend. This morning things are no different, which is not surprising considering the buffeting we got last night. I have been scouring the internet for images and news and have found the following video and pictures.




Further Video : Wolfie.za.org



Further Pictures : ChrisJacobs.co.za

Blog post with more pics : Craniac's Place

Eye Witness News : Fires rage in Gordons Bay

The guys working hard to save what they can from further destruction : capefires.com

Cape Town gets hit by the Black South Easter

Cape Town has experienced some severe wind conditions the past two days. We are used to the some South-Easters but when rain comes along with it, it is something a little unusual. Us locals call this the Black South-Easter.

I found this bit of information on this local weather phenomenon @ 1stweather.com.

"The Black South-Easter is a much misinterpreted phenomenon. It is refered to as a "BLACK" SE event when the SE wind is blowing, usually rather strongly, and it is raining at the same time. A Black SE usually is caused by a deep low pressure system over the SW Cape both in the upper air and on the surface and a very strong/intense SAH south of the country. The Laingsburg Floods and the Easter of 1994 are prime examples of Black South-easters in Cape Town. The tight pressure gradient between the systems cause the wind and the low pressure systems produce the rain. These Black SE events usually occur during spring and autumn, the months when the incidence of cut-off low pressure systems are high. "

The pictures shown were taken by Lester Hein and there are many more pics on his blog "You are here." They are all taken at a notorius spot where the city's high rises create a tunnel-effect. This was so extreme today that the firemen were assisting people across the road.