Expect heavy downpours this Christmas

A wet Christmas is a forecast, with chances of heavy downpours, damaging winds and hail.

South African Weather Service forecaster Mkhushulwa William Msimanga warned that thunderstorm activity was expected over the eastern parts of the country for the long Christmas weekend and warned some storms may turn severe.

Severe thunderstorms

“Central and eastern parts of the country can expect thundershowers during this Christmas long weekend. These are the eastern parts of Northern Cape, North West, Free State, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces,” he said.

“Some of these thundershowers will become severe containing all or some of the following hazards: heavy downpours, strong damaging winds, hail and excessive lightning.”

Msimanga said it may result in flooding of roads and settlements, damage to infrastructure, as well as dangerous driving conditions.

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“An upper air trough [extension of the low-pressure system] will develop to the west of the country and is expected to intensify from Saturday. The system will influence weather patterns over most central and eastern parts of the country during the next five days, resulting in isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers,” he said.

Another SA Weather Service forecaster, Kholofelo Mahlangu added: “Over the weekend, showers will fall over Gauteng, North West, KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga and eastern parts of Eastern Cape, spreading as far as Mossel Bay and Plettenberg Bay,” she said.

Mahlangu said the eastern parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal can prepare for more rain next week.

“By Wednesday, the rain forecast will broaden and stretch further over the other provinces. On Thursday, most parts of the country are expecting rain except northern Limpopo and northern and western parts of the Northern Cape. Everywhere else it should be raining,” she said.

Natizel Nursery owner Gerhard Johnson said he was extremely grateful for the rain forecast for next week. “We have done some sums and found that we have had more rain until now compared to the whole year last year,” he said.

Johnston said it was nice seeing the fields green. “The dams are also full but we still need more rain,” he said.

Storm chaser Cobus van Zyl said the weather front was quiet for now.

“Earlier this week, I noticed a super storm cell over parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, but didn’t result in much,” he said.