Rain likely to affect Bafana Bafana friendly, says SA Weather Service

Soccer fans planning to attend the match between Bafana Bafana and Guinea-Bissau at the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban on Saturday are advised to take rain coats and to dress warmly because cold and wet conditions have been forecast.

Forecaster at the South African Weather Service Lebogang Mashile told Saturday Citizen on Friday there was a 60% chance of rain on the cards for the entire KwaZulu-Natal province on Saturday.

“We are expecting on-and-off type rain with maximum temperatures in the province set to peak at highs ranging between 20ºC and 21ºC,” Mashile said.

In contrast to the dry conditions that were experienced in many parts of the country in recent weeks, people in Gauteng can also look forward to a 60% chance of showers and thundershowers on Saturday.

“The 60% chance of rainfall is also expected to extend into Mpumalanga,” Mashile said.

“For the remainder of the country, we are only expecting a 30% chance of showers for areas such as Umtata in the Eastern Cape and Kroonstad and Bethlehem in the Free State.”

Klerksdorp and Lichtenburg in North West, as well as Limpopo, were also forecast 30% chances of showers. In Gauteng, people in various areas, especially those in Johannesburg and Vereeniging, experienced rain on Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the seven-day forecast indicates less rain for the better part of the country, starting from Sunday.

Asked if there was still a chance of torrential rain, similar to that experienced recently, Mashile replied: “According to our seasonal forecast, there is still a chance of heavy rain before winter.

“Normally, before winter, there is a system that comes in, dropping our temperatures significantly to a point where they no longer recover, at least until the end of winter.”

While dam levels in most parts of the country have improved, the situation in the Western Cape remained dire.

According to James Styan, spokesperson for the department of local government in the province, the latest average dam levels were at 26.9% of capacity, compared with last year’s 35%.

“The situation is indeed dire,” he said, “but we are confident that we will go into the winter season still having some water in our dams.”

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