Disruptive rainfall expected in parts of KZN, EC and Mpumalanga on Thursday

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued an orange level 9 warning for disruptive rainfall in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape which could lead to the flooding of roads and settlements, danger to life, large communities, damage to property, widespread mudslides, rockfalls and soil erosion and travel services will be severely affected.

The affected areas include: the Ethekwini Metro, Mkhambathini, Richmond and Msunduzi Local Municipalities, Ilembe District and the eastern areas of King Cetswayo as well as in places over Mkhanyakude District Municipality.

The weather service also issued a  yellow level 2 warning for disruptive rainfall which could lead to flooding of informal settlements, poor driving visibility and minor vehicle accidents in parts of Limpopo and Free State.

Yellow Rain warning: Mpumalanga- 05 January 2023 pic.twitter.com/eSVZ7vk2NL

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) January 4, 2023

Thursday’s weather forecast

Gauteng: Partly cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers. The expected UVB sunburn index: Very High

Mpumalanga: Cloudy and cool with widespread showers and thundershowers. It will be warm to hot in the Lowveld.

Limpopo: Partly cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers but widespread in the south and west where it will be cloudy. It will be hot to very hot in the Lowveld.

North West: Cloudy and warm, with scattered showers and thundershowers.

Free State: Cloudy in the east, otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm, with scattered showers and thundershowers.

Northern Cape: Partly cloudy and warm to hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers in the east. Drizzle in the morning along the coast, otherwise cloudy to partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated thundershowers over the southern high ground and eastern parts. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly becoming strong by the afternoon.

Western Cape: Cloudy to partly cloudy and cool to warm with showers and rain over the eastern parts. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly but strong to near gale along the west coast. The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme.

Western half of the Eastern Cape:  Cloudy and cool to cold, with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread showers and rain in the south. The wind along the coast will be Moderate to fresh southerly.

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy and cool to cold, with widespread showers and thundershowers. The wind along the coast will be Moderate to fresh southerly.

KwaZulu-Natal: Morning fog over the interior, otherwise cloudy and cool, but warm in the north. Widespread showers and thundershowers are expected. The wind along the coast will be moderate southerly to south-westerly. The expected UVB sunburn index: Low.

ALSO READ: Disruptive rain and flooding expected in parts of the Eastern Cape