Severe storms at the Cape of Good Hope have brought container shipping to a standstill. The waves are up to 10 meters high.
No container ship has been able to pass the Cape for days, leading to traffic jams and delays.
No transit at the Cape of Good Hope
“There is a complete stop for container ships at the Cape of Good Hope – east and west,” said Fabrice Maille, Global Head of Shipping & Agriculture at the LSEG Shipping Research agency. Daily transit data shows that no container ship has passed the Cape. “Traffic in the Red Sea has not changed significantly so far, but several container ships have turned around and/or are waiting off the coast of Durban.”
Coupled with the ongoing conflict in the Red Sea, which is forcing many merchant ships to take the detour via South Africa in the first place, this is likely to further drive delivery delays.
Weather expert expects storm
In view of the house-high waves off the South African coast, LSEG weather analyst Isaac Hankes made the connection with a cyclone that hit the region recently. Temperatures had fallen far below the normal range.
Nevertheless, this phenomenon was “nothing out of the ordinary”. Something similar happened at the beginning of June. “Compared to the northern hemisphere, these events are like an outbreak of cold air in the South African winter.”
However, it is likely that another cyclone will hit South Africa this week, meaning that the swell could paralyse shipping for a few more days. After that, according to the weather expert, the storm front will subside.
