Above-average rainfall expected until March

Most parts of the country will have above-average rainfall for the remainder of summer, the South African Weather Service said this week.

Rain returned to parts of the country this week following a few weeks of dry and hot conditions.

Forecaster Dipuo Tawana said the seasonal forecast was for above-average rainfall from January to March.

The provinces where there will be  above-average rainfall include Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and  the central interior of KwaZulu-Natal.

The Western Cape receives most of its rainfall during winter.

“Areas which are likely to experience [average] rainfall include the western parts of Free State, Ruth Mompati and Motshiri Moiloa municipalities in North West, as well as the Eastern Cape ,” Tawana said.

“However, it seems things might change in mid-autumn, when the above-average rainfall patterns make a return.”

In December, Gauteng received near average rainfall, with Johannesburg recording 117mm, just slightly down from the norm of 124mm.

Irene in Pretoria, recorded 82mm, down from 119mm.

Currently, the average dam levels across the country are 58.9%, up by 2.1%.

The Vaal Dam, which supplies mainly to municipalities in Gauteng, is 63.3% full.

Recently, the dam’s level dropped to 25%, prompting authorities to embark on a replenishing exercise, involving releasing water from the Sterkfontein Dam, just outside Harrismith in the Free State, into the Vaal River system.

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