Heatwave reprieve, but brace for severe thunderstorms in Gauteng

Following a scorching heatwave, Gauteng residents have now been warned to brace for severe thunderstorms expected to hit the province on Sunday.

A light breeze is sweeping across the province as dark clouds gather to bring much-needed relief for residents after a week of scorching temperatures.

Warning

Regional forecaster Gauteng Weather shared a warning from the South Africa Weather Services (Saws) on X  [formally Twitter]

“Alert: the SA Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a warning for the possibility of severe thunderstorms across Gauteng on Sunday!!!” it said in a post on X.

The Saws issued a yellow level 2 warning about the adverse weather condition.

“Severe thunderstorms resulting in heavy downpours and strong to damaging winds are expected over Gauteng, the southern and western Highveld of Mpumalanga and the south-western Bushveld of Limpopo as well as over the northern and central parts  of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).”

ALSO READ: Relief from heatwave, but SA Weather warns of severe thunderstorms

Impact

Saws warned the severed thunderstorms and heavy downpours may result in localised flooding.

Traffic is likely to be impacted by the severe thunderstorms, with the Johannesburg Emergency Services urging motorists to take extra precautions when driving.

“Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over eastern parts of Northern Cape, western Free State and North West as well as the Limpopo Valley and in places in the Eastern Cape.”

While Gauteng might be getting much-needed rain, the scorching heatwave is continuing in other areas, the Saws warned.

“A heat have with persistently high temperatures is expected over the  North West, Free State and the northern and eastern parts of the  Northern Cape until Wednesday,” it said.

Here are the weather forecasts for your province

Gauteng

Expect partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers

Mpumalanga

Cloudy in the morning with fog patches and drizzle along the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers. It will be hot in the Lowveld.

Limpopo

Limpopo will be cloudy with in the east with morning with fog patches and drizzle along the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers over the western and southern parts. It will be very hot in the south-west

North West

The North West is fine and hot to very hot, becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers.

Free State

Residents can anticipate cloudy in the extreme east at first with morning fog, otherwise fine and hot to very hot becoming partly cloudy in the eastern half by the afternoon where isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers are expected.

Northern Cape

Fine and warm to hot, but very hot to extremely hot in the north. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly.

Western Cape

Fine and warm to hot but partly cloudy and cool along the south coast and adjacent interior.

The wind along the coast will be light and variable along the south-west coastline in the morning, otherwise moderate to fresh south to south-westerly.

Western half of the Eastern Cape:

Residents can expect fog in places over the central interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm, but hot in the north where it will be hot. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate southerly to south-westerly.

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape:

Cloudy and cool to warm in places with a chance of rain south of the escarpment. The wind along the coast will be Light to moderate easterly to north-easterly.

KwaZulu-Natal

Morning fog patches over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers but isolated in the extreme south and west.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh north-easterly reaching strong in places from the afternoon.

ALSO READ: Randfontein ‘tornado’: Dozens injured as clean-up operations continue [VIDEO]