WARNING: First weather beast of season to blast Cape Town this weekend

SHOOT: Expect big swells, strong winds. Waves will be 5-7m.

clipped from www.news24.com Cape Town - Surfers are getting excited and disaster management officials are on standby as the Cape Peninsula braces for its first major winter storm, which is expected to hit this weekend. Gale force winds and waves in excess of five to seven metres will keep most residents indoors. The SA Weather Service has issued an advisory, with forecaster Stella Nake telling News24 the south western peninsula and areas near Table Mountain would be particularly affected by heavy rainfall. "There is a possibility of gale-force north westerly winds of 70km per hour, including in the interior, and over the deep sea areas it might be more than 80km per hour," she said. The cold front is expected to move over the Western Cape towards Plettenberg Bay on Saturday night, Sunday and during the early half of next week.