RTMC advises motorists of possible traffic disruption because of bad weather

The Road Trafic Management Corporation (RTMC) on Saturday advised motorists to exercise due care on the roads this weekend following predictions of adverse weather conditions in various parts of the country.

“Motorists are warned to refrain from driving in heavy snow, through flooded rivers, and in heavy smoke,” RTMC spokesman Simon Zwane said.

The South African Weather Service had predicted a stormy weekend for certain parts of South Africa, with 100 percent rain predicted for the Cape metropole. Localised urban flooding was expected in the metropole region and the Overberg, he said

Temperatures were expected to drop to below freezing due to the passing cold front, allowing for snowfalls over the mountainous areas of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape on Sunday.

Traffic disruptions could also be expected due to significant snowfall with possible closure of mountain passes in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape.

“The SA weather service said snowfalls are expected over the high-lying areas of the province with disruptive snowfalls expected over the Sneeuberg and Winterberg. Passes such as the Lootsberg Pass and Penhoek Pass could be affected.”

A fire hazard conditions alert had been issued for the north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape, the central and eastern Free State, as well as the western and central parts of the North West, the southern parts of Gauteng, and the western parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Zwane said.