Last kick of a dying winter as sunny weekend expected

Sunny skies with more pleasant temperatures are expected heading into the weekend, the SA Weather Service has confirmed, but not before the 30% chance of thunderstorms on Wednesday afternoon across Gauteng.

As cold weather crept in since Monday in what has been sarcastically referred to as the last kick of a dying winter, the SA Weather Services forecaster Kgolofelo Mahlangu confirms steady temperatures heading into the first weekend of September.

Despite the partly cloudy conditions on Wednesday with possible thunderstorms, low temperatures were expected to rise with clear skies predicted this weekend.

Weather graphic, 2 September 2020, by Costa Mokola.

Mahlangu said Gauteng could expect a change in conditions from Thursday.

Expected spring rainfall is expected to marginally increase dam levels, said the department of water and sanitation.

In a report the department stated:

• Current dam levels were at 66.6%, a slight drop from the previous week’s 66.9%.
• Since May, dam levels across the country have dropped by 11%. The department noted that the arrival of spring brought with it the expected soar of levels when rainfalls begin.
• The Free State which has the largest volumes of water dropped for 78.2% to 77.6% this week with Gauteng recording a 97.5% from last week’s 97.9%.
• Although the dams supply the economic hub of Gauteng, the province has the smallest dams in the country that reach their capacity at the slightest of rain.
• Northern Cape, also with fewer dams, dropped from 92.8% to 91.7%. However, parts of the province in the Karoo are experiencing severe dry conditions.
• Heavy snowfall in large parts of the Eastern Cape last week managed to stabilise the provinces dam levels after fears that the province would be plunged into a water crisis.

Large areas of Umkhanyakude and Zululand remain dry with most dams hovering around 20% level. Limpopo is in the middle of the table with its levels having dropped slightly from 69.2% to 68.6% in the past week.

Mopani District consisting of towns Tzaneen, Giyani and Greater Letaba, remain a source of concern as their dam levels remain below 20% each.

Mpumalanga remains among the top five provinces with sufficient water in storage as it recorded 68.6%. Vygeboom and Nooitgedacht dam in the Lowveld have the highest dam levels at 88.3% and 85.5% apiece. Both dams receive their water from Komati River on the periphery of South Africa and Mozambique.

Western Cape which is experiencing wet winter rains, is the only province whose dams have increased substantially.

The weekly report estimated the province’s winter rainfall at 80.2%, a 3% rise from last week. The province has stored 1,343, six cubic metres (80%) of water in its reservoirs to prepare for a dry summer, the department said in a statement.

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