Level 6 warning: Heavy rain, hail to hit parts of Western Cape

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued an orange level 6 warning for severe thunderstorms in the Overberg and Garden Route Districts, and a yellow level 4 warning over the southern Cape Winelands District, Laingsburg and Prince Albert municipalities in the Western Cape on Sunday.

“Initially, a steep upper trough is expected to result in scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers on Saturday,” warned the weather service.

Western Cape Tomorrow 's Weather overview: 04/03/2023 pic.twitter.com/xvk2488yha

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) March 3, 2023

“Heavy rain, localised flooding as well as severe thunderstorms are some of the more notable and potentially damaging weather phenomena most likely to accompany this weather system. Well developed, intense upper-air cut-off lows are notoriously efficient producers of a combination of heavy rain as well as severe thunderstorms, especially around the core as well as on the eastern flank of the system.”

Possible impacts

• Damage or loss of infrastructure, settlements, property, and livelihood
• Injuries and danger to life
• Major travel disruptions and incidents
• Falling trees blocking major roads

Saturday’s weather forecast

Gauteng: Morning fog patches in the south, otherwise partly cloudy and warm. The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme.

Mpumalanga: Cloudy with morning fog patches over the Lowveld and along the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with showers and thundershowers over the central parts, but cool in places in the
west.

Limpopo: Partly cloudy and warm weather with showers and thundershowers over the central and northern parts, but cloudy with morning fog patches over the Lowveld and escarpment.

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North West: Partly cloudy and warm weather, with isolated showers and thundershowers in the west.

Free State: Partly cloudy and warm weather, with isolated showers and thundershowers in the western and the extreme eastern parts.

Northern Cape: Cloudy and cool with morning fog along the coast, otherwise fine and warm, partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers in the west and the extreme eastern parts. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly.

Western Cape: Cloudy to partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated thundershowers in the west, scattered over the central and the southern parts but widespread in the north-east.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to southeasterly in the south-west and the western parts of the south coast, otherwise light and variable. The expected UVB sunburn index: Very High.

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Western half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy along the coast at first, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated showers and rain along the coast in the evening. It will become cloudy in the evening.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly, becoming light and variable in the evening.

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy along the coast at first, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated along the coast. It will become cloudy in the evening.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly, becoming light and variable in the evening, but fresh north-easterly north of Coffee Bay.

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KwaZulu-Natal: Morning fog over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm. Scattered showers and thundershowers are expected in the south-west, otherwise isolated, except in the north-east.

The wind along the coast will be gentle to moderate easterly to north-easterly. The expected UVB sunburn index: Very High.