Image of the day

Disastrous floods hit South Africa

Earth Observation | Copernicus
Climate Change
Floods
Rivers
Disastrous floods hit South Africa
Location: Cape Town, Sudafrica
Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery

In the past few days, heavy rains have caused devastating floods in the Western Cape Region, in South Africa.

Eleven casualties have been reported, and thousands of families have been evacuated. The rain has caused rivers to overflow, washing away several roads and disrupting traffic in the area.

This image, acquired by one of Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 27 September, shows the massive sediment river discharge caused by the floods from the rivers south of Cape Town.

The Copernicus Sentinel satellites provide valuable data for identifying and delineating the extent of the areas affected by flooding and for monitoring the consequences of such disastrous events.

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