Joburg EMS on high alert as cold snap hits Gauteng

As the cold snap envelopes Gauteng, Johannesburg Emergency Services (EMS) has assured residents that officials will be on high alert for any eventuality.

The residents have been warned to brace for a cold snap expected to hit the province this week with temperatures set to drop.

Gauteng Weather shared the details on Twitter.

It says that Johannesburg and Pretoria are likely to experience windy conditions, with the mercury hovering between a minimum of 1 °C and 21°C in Joburg.

ALSO READ: Residents warned to brace for cold snap to hit Gauteng

Precautions

Joburg EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said with the dawn of a bitter winter, the residents must take precautions against the freezing conditions.

“We urge the residents to continue to look after all heating devices as they try to warm themselves. They must ensure that all heating devices are well looked after and not left unattended in order to prevent fire incidents during this cold front.

“From our side as the emergency management services, we remain on high alert monitoring all seven regions of the city to make sure that we are able to respond to all emergencies that might occur throughout the city,” said Mulaudzi.

Load shedding

Meanwhile, the cold weather conditions are also likely to put pressure on the electricity grid as residents use electrical heating appliances to keep warm.

On Sunday, ailing state-owned entity Eskom said stage 3 load shedding would be be implemented throughout the week from 4pm until midnight and be suspended from midnight until the next cycle.

The parastatal said breakdowns amounted to 16 524MW of generating capacity while the generating capacity out of service for planned maintenance is 4 376MW.

Eskom said it would publish another update should any significant changes occur.

ALSO READ: Stage 3 load shedding to hit SA during evening peak periods