Put your blankets away and get the braai stands out this weekend

Gauteng residents can prepare themselves for warmer and even hot weather conditions this week, following a series of cold fronts that saw the temperature in some areas dipping below the freezing mark.

Many are hoping that the freezing temperatures that gripped the province are the last gasps of a dying winter that may be stepping aside for Spring and Summer.

In a tweet, Gauteng Weather said warmer temperatures will be enveloping the province after the cold spell.

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It said the mercury in Johannesburg is expected to touch a minimum of 2°C on Monday, and maximum of 25 °C on Friday.

The City of Tshwane can also expect warmer temperatures with a minimum of 4°C on Monday, with a maximum of 27°C on Friday.

While residents were urged to exercise caution with heating appliances during winter, warmer temperatures also come with its own challengers.

The scorching temperatures can affect the body and people are advised to keep out of the sun and stay hydrated by drinking water.

There are also hopes that the summer month will bring beneficial rain to specific catchment areas and replenish the dams that have depleted water levels especially in the Eastern Cape.

The Department of Water and Sanitation’s weekly status of dams report demonstrate that the country’s water levels are on a continual decrease due to the lack of rains.

The biggest water supply system, Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) with 14 dams across four provinces dipped marginally from 99.2% last week, to 98.9% this week.

Meanwhile, the latest long-term forecast points to wet Spring and Summer seasons, despite the weakened state of the La Niña weather system.

La Niña is usually associated with heavy downpours as was the case during the previous rainfall system, as witnessed with the flooding in KwaZulu-Natal.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) forecaster Puseletso Mofokeng told The Citizen La Niña is also considered to be the counterpart of the other weather system known as El Niño, which brings about a series of heatwaves.

Mofokeng said the possibility of having the last cold front in September cannot be ruled out at this stage.

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