Having been awarded a $100 000 grant by the international Million Cool Roofs Challenge last year to deploy solar-reflective roof coatings, the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) is now underway rolling out this low-tech cooling solution to communities across the country. This initiative is driven by the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP) with … [Read more...]
Dealing with heat exhaustion and heatstroke
As we melt our way through the SA's climactic summer, heat exhaustion and heatstroke are two potentially serious conditions that can occur if you get too hot. This overheating can also be caused by very strenuous physical exercise. Heat exhaustion is where you become very hot and start to lose water or salt from your body, which leads to the symptoms listed below and … [Read more...]
Arctic sea ice reaches lowest annual maximum on record
This year's maximum Arctic sea ice extent was the lowest in the satellite record and occurred 15 days earlier than the average date for the period from 1981 to 2010, reported NASA and NSIDC. The sea ice cap of the Arctic appeared to reach its annual maximum winter extent on Feb. 25, according to data from the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the … [Read more...]
Western Cape anticipates heavy rain
Heavy rain is expected in places over West Coast District, Cape Winelands and parts of the Eden District. Heavy rainfall raises the water level. When the water level is higher than the river banks or the dams, water comes out from the river and flooding occurs. Preventive measures: Construct proper drainage system – Shallow drains due to silts must be cleaned constantly … [Read more...]
City urges caution as weekend fires claim 12 lives
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services section appeals to the public to be on high alert at all times, especially around open flames or any other potential fire hazards. Firefighters responded to a number of incidents over the past weekend. Tragically, several of these incidents resulted in fatalities. At 00:51 yesterday morning, 9 December 2013, three wood and … [Read more...]
Extremely high fire danger conditions expected
The South African Weather Service has issued a warning of extremely high fire danger conditions in the Northern Cape and on the West Coast. City of Cape Town Disaster Management spokesperson, Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, says temperatures have increased into the mid 30's in some areas. "Disaster management teams have been placed on high alert to deal with issues where … [Read more...]
Extremely hot conditions expected in Western & Eastern Cape.
Extremely hot conditions are expected over the Karoo areas of the Western and Eastern Cape. Hot and humid weather will result in extremely uncomfortable conditions over the Breede River Valley and eastern interior of the Western Cape, as well as the southern interior of the Eastern Cape. In the light of this warning as produced by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) and … [Read more...]
City appeals to residents to stick to watering times
The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Department is appealing to all residents to please adhere to the specified times for watering gardens, lawns and plants in order to prevent water wastage. This is in line with the City’s water by-laws and is particularly important over the summer season which traditionally see a drop in dam levels. The City’s dam levels are … [Read more...]
Feeling bloated and uncomfortable? Time to detox!
The finally unfolding summer is a good time to help your body get rid of the winter’s indulgences, release built up toxins and clean out accumulated waste from the past year. No one is exempt from the industrial pollutants in the air we breathe, the water we drink and chemical residues in foods and cookware that have all embedded themselves in our tissues and organs. If you … [Read more...]
Save water in your home and garden
With the rainstorms and snowfalls that have accompanied the winter of 2011, it might be hard to imagine that South Africa could be facing a water crisis - but experts say that unless we start taking water saving measures seriously, we could see demand exceeding supply as soon as 2020. With another scorching summer just around the corner, South Africans will need to be … [Read more...]
Beware the water guzzlers this summer
February is the worst month for water consumption in the Cape. One resident shares her water consumption calculations and saving devices and plans with us. The City of Cape Town gives all its residents 6kl of free water a month. Last February my family used up this allocation in 3 days. For some households, 6kl is enough water to last them the whole month. We live in the … [Read more...]
Keeping cool in the Boland summer
Just when we thought our computers, and brains, would melt into a puddle in the sweltering Boland summer, our office was saved by our own white ice cap. I have been preaching the gospel of passive insulation and temperature regulation for a long time. So to live my talk we have avoided air-conditioning in spite of ever hotter summers. If you think we're just being wimps, a … [Read more...]
Summer ice cap still a bonus during winter
Towards the end of the hottest summer in 80 years, we told you the story of our really cool ice cap that saved us from frying in our flat roofed office. You remember this white paint we had applied to our office roof, which uses ceramic beads to reflect radiant heat from the summer sun right back into the atmosphere. This is the space age heat barrier which protects … [Read more...]
