Hot and dry conditions expected in parts of Western Cape

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the Khai-Ma, Hantam, Kareeberg, Dawid Kruiper, Tsantsabane and Kai!Garib Local municipalities of the Northern Cape, as well as the Matzikama Local Municipality of the Western Cape, on Thursday.

“Conditions are such that the FDI index is above 75. Under these conditions, fires may develop and spread rapidly, resulting in damage to property and possible loss of human or animal life,” warned the South African Weather Service (SAWS).

In the interior of the West Coast District of the Western Cape, the weather service expects very hot and dry conditions, which will result in uncomfortable conditions.

Thursday’s weather forecast

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

Mpumalanga: Very hot to hot weather in places over the Low-Veld otherwise, partly cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers but isolated in the east.

Limpopo: Partly cloudy and warm weather with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered in places in the west.

North West: Cloudy to partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the east.

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Free State: Fine in the west at first, otherwise cloudy to partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the east.

Northern Cape: Morning fog patches along the coast where it will be cloudy at first, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot but very hot in the central and eastern parts where isolated showers and thundershowers are expected.

Wind along the coast will be light and variable until late morning, becoming moderate to fresh south-westerly until the evening where it will be light northerly to north-westerly.

Western Cape: Partly cloudy conditions along the south coast where morning fog is expected, otherwise fine and warm to hot but very hot over the west coast interior and Central Karoo.

The wind along the coast will be light and variable north of Table Bay until midday becoming moderate to fresh south-westerly but north-westerly towards the end of the period, otherwise fresh to strong easterly to south-easterly. The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme.

Western half of the Eastern Cape: Fine in places in the north, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot, but cloudy and warm in places along the coast with light rain expected east of St Francis. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh north-easterly.

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Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Partly cloudy and warm to hot, becoming cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers. The wind along the coast will be Moderate south-easterly.

KwaZulu-Natal: Morning fog patches, otherwise partly cloudy to cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers but isolated in the north-east. The wind along the coast will be moderate easterly to north-easterly. The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme.