First day of September will be fine and sunny

It will be a fine and sunny first day of September after an intense cold front sweeps through the country over the weekend with rain, damaging winds and snow forecast.

Vox Weather meteorologist Michelle Cordier said the strong cold front that hit the southwest Cape yesterday brings very cold, wet and windy conditions with 2 orange level 6 warnings for damaging winds issued and the possibility of snow.

ALSO READ: Weather alert: SA brace for severe winds and waves, disruptive snow and fires

Cold weather coming first

“An intense cold front is expected to affect the Western and Northern Cape.

“The public and small stock farmers are advised that heavy downpours, snowfalls over the mountains, icy conditions, strong to gale force interior and coastal winds and very rough seas can be expected,” she said.

Cordier said snow was expected in the Cape provinces, with more snow possible in Sutherland in the Karoo.

“The cold weather will spread to the north and the east by Thursday due to a high-pressure system that will spread cold air behind the cold front over the eastern and northern parts.

“It’s quite a bit cooler from tomorrow with temperatures between 10°C and 15°C across the highveld, with temperatures in the low 20°C in Gauteng and surrounding provinces.”

ALSO READ: Trees may be uprooted and structures collapse: Western Cape weather warning

Cordier said cloudy and rainy weather was expected in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

“Friday will be particularly cold with temperatures below 10°C across the highveld with temperatures below 20°C in Gauteng and surrounding provinces and it [will] remain cloudy and rainy, especially in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal with light snow possible over the mountain passes between KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and Lesotho,” she said.

Cordier said it would start warming up by Sunday.

SA Weather Service forecaster Mbaghi Maliage said Gauteng residents could expect a slight cooling going into the weekend with temperatures expected to range between 18°C and 20°C across Gauteng. Maliage said no rain was forecast for the interior part of the country over the weekend, despite the cooler conditions expected.

ALSO READ: Initiative launched to protect South Africans from hazardous weather