Heavy rain and strong winds to hit South Africa on Monday

Rain and thunderstorms will continue to hit large parts of South Africa on Easter Monday.

Weather warnings: Monday, 21 April

Although rain is expected in many parts of the country, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms in the western parts of Free State and most parts of the Northern Cape.

It said this may lead to flooding of roads, low-lying areas and bridges.

The weather services also issued a yellow level 2 warning for coastal winds in the Western Cape between Lambert’s Bay and Hermanus. It said this will make navigation at sea difficult.

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Monday, 21 April:

Gauteng:

Partly cloudy and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers over the southern parts.

The expected UVB sunburn index: High

Mpumalanga:

Partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers in the south.

Limpopo:

Partly cloudy and cool to warm.

North West:

Partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers, except in the east.

Free State:

Morning fog patches in the west and central parts, otherwise partly cloudy and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the west where it will be cloudy.

Northern Cape:

Morning fog in the south-east, partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers, except in the extreme north-west.

The wind along coast will be fresh to strong southerly to southeasterly, becoming moderate in the evening.

Western Cape:

Fine and warm in the extremely west, otherwise partly cloudy and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers. Light rain can be expected along the south coast and adjacent interior where it will be cold.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh easterly to south-easterly along the south coast, reaching strong from the afternoon, otherwise fresh to strong southerly to south-easterly, reaching gale along the south-west coast at times.

The expected UVB sunburn index: moderate

Eastern Cape (western half):

Cloudy and cold to cool with scattered showers and rain.

The wind along the coast will be light to moderate southeasterly.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

Cloudy and cold to cool with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread in the south-west.

The wind along the coast will be light south-westerly, becoming south-easterly in the afternoon.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Morning fog over the central and western interior, otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers. It will be cold in the south-west.

The wind along the coast will be light to moderate northerly to north-westerly in the north until late morning, otherwise moderate to fresh north-easterly but south-westerly in the south.

The expected UVB sunburn index: High

NOW READ: Annette Botha: SA’s Wonder Woman of weather