“Cape of Storms”: Horrible Weather in Cape Town Leaves SA Spooked After Waterspouts Filmed

• A video filmed about 24 nautical miles west of Slangkop off the Cape Town coast captured multiple waterspouts spinning down from the clouds
• The footage was taken from a small boat on 17 April 2026 in winds of around Force 5 and swells of up to 3.5 metres
• South Africans were deeply unsettled by the clip, with many saying they had never seen anything like it

A video of terrifying weather conditions off the Cape Town coast has left South Africa seriously disturbed. Facebook page @mooiweskus shared the footage on 24 April 2026, which was originally filmed on 17 April 2026 at around 16:40. It was taken approximately 24 nautical miles west of Slangkop. The caption confirmed the footage came directly from the skipper of the vessel that was out at sea when the weather turned, saying:

"Winds were WNW Force 5 and swell 3 up to 3.5 metres. Received from the skipper."

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The video shows a small boat on the open sea with several waterspouts visible in the distance. These are spinning columns of air and water that form when rotating winds drop down from storm clouds and make contact with the sea surface. In the clip, multiple waterspouts can be seen at the same time, twisting and churning across the water while the boat holds its position nearby. It is an unsettling sight, especially for those who had no idea this kind of weather was possible off the South African coast.

Why Cape Town sees this kind of weather?

Cape Town sits in the only winter rainfall region in southern Africa, which makes its weather patterns very different from the rest of the country. The city is regularly affected by cold fronts that bring strong winds and heavy rain. However, it's also vulnerable to what climate researchers call cut-off lows. These are pockets of cold air that get isolated in the upper atmosphere and move slowly. Unlike cold fronts, cut-off lows can happen at any time of year.

According to climate researchers Sabina Abba Omar and Stefaan Conradie, the Western Cape has seen a series of severe storms in recent years. This included extreme flooding in June 2023 that cut off entire communities and a September 2023 storm that killed at least eight people and caused an estimated R1.4 billion in damage to agriculture alone.

Watch the Facebook clip below:

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People spooked by Cape Town weather

South Africans were shaken by what they saw on the Facebook page @mooiweskus:

@Marti Els wrote:

"Wow. This is definitely not for any person. Nature is wonderful, but also frightening. I do not think I will survive this."

@Elize Pretorius said:

"Just watching the video makes me sick. I do not know how he is still standing on that shaking boat."

@Jerome April wrote:

"This is the nicest feeling for a seaman. It lets the adrenaline pump. But your legs must be strong."

@Annika Smith added:

"Cape of Storms, neh."

@Poobalen Prebashen Pillay said:

"Waterspouts at their best."

@Lenie Ferreira asked:

"Were they safely ashore?"

@Karin Hanekom-Engels said:

"Oh dear goodness. It would have been a little fierce."

@Coenie Laing wrote:

"And just like that it went on Oorle Jan's ships."

More scary weather hitting South Africa

• Briefly News recently reported on a Dunoon woman who showed the inside of her home after Cape Town floodwaters rose to knee height.
• The South African Weather Service issued a severe flood warning for three provinces, and the areas affected had residents scrambling to prepare for what was coming.
• Soweto Derby fans were warned to brace for a very wet and miserable afternoon after SAWS confirmed rough weather conditions across Gauteng on match day.

Source: Briefly News