Western Cape schools shut amid severe weather warnings

Cape Town – Public schools in parts of the Western Cape will be temporarily closed this week as authorities respond to severe weather warnings.

Western Cape Education Minister David Maynier announced that schools in certain areas of the Eden and Central Karoo Education District will be shut on Wednesday, 6 May, and Thursday, 7 May 2026, following consultations with the South African Weather Service and the Provincial Disaster Management Centre.

The closures will affect all public ordinary and special needs schools in specific circuits, including George (Circuits 3 and 8), Knysna (Circuit 4), and Oudtshoorn (Circuits 5 and 6), due to forecasts of heavy rainfall and potentially dangerous conditions.

“In the interests of learner and teacher safety… a decision has been taken to close schools in certain areas,” Maynier said.

Weather forecast for tomorrow, 06 May 2026:
Cloudy and cold to cool with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers but widespread in places⚠️Severe thunderstorm, disruptive rain and snow, damaging winds and waves.#saws #weatheroutlook #Warning #flood pic.twitter.com/EorYcDQg4v

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) May 5, 2026

Education authorities confirmed that affected schools have been formally notified and instructed to inform parents of the closures.

The department stressed that all other schools in the province will remain open unless individual closures are approved on a case-by-case basis.

“Our default position is always to keep schools open and only close schools in exceptional circumstances, but we are mindful of the severity of the warnings in place,” Maynier said.

Officials said the situation will be closely monitored, with plans for schools to reopen on Friday, 8 May, subject to further weather assessments.

“We will continuously monitor and evaluate the situation to ensure that schools can reopen as soon as possible,” the minister added.