Heatwave eases, but storms and fire risks lurk ahead

After a hot start to the weekend with persistently high temperatures in several areas, residents can sigh in relief as the heatwave conditions ease.

In some areas, the mercury soared to over 37°C as people stayed out of the sun and drank copious amounts of water to stay hydrated during the heatwave.

Load shedding over the weekend exacerbated the heatwave, with many chilling out in pools to keep cool and bring relief from the scorching heat. Load shedding has since been suspended.

Impact-based warning

While the heatwave dissipates, bringing much-needed cooler weather, the South African Weather Service (Saws) issued a yellow level 2 warning for five provinces.

“Severe thunderstorms resulting in hail, heavy downpours and strong damaging winds, leading to localised flooding of susceptible areas and roads, and localised damage to infrastructure are expected over the south-western parts of Limpopo, the Highveld of Mpumalanga, Gauteng, eastern parts of the North West and Free State as well as the central and western interior of Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN),” Saws said.

As the heatwave continued, Saws warned of fire dangers in a few areas.

“Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over most parts of the Northern Cape and southern Free State, extending to the western parts of North West.”

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Heatwave  

While the cooler temperatures will be welcomed by many, some areas will continue to experience heatwave conditions.

“A heat wave with persistently high temperatures is expected over the Lowveld of Limpopo and Mpumalanga and Limpopo Valley, central parts of Free State, south-western parts of North West and extreme north-eastern parts of Northern Cape until at least Tuesday.

“Hot and humid weather will result in extremely uncomfortable conditions over extreme north-eastern parts of Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN),” Saws said.

Here are the weather forecasts for your province

Gauteng

Expect partly cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers from the afternoon.

Mpumalanga

In Mpumalanga, the eastern parts will be cloudy in the morning, with fog patches along the escarpment. Otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers. However, it will be isolated in the Lowveld, where it will be hot to very hot with heatwave conditions.

Limpopo

Limpopo will start cloudy along the escarpment in the morning. Otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers except in the north and east and scattered over the southern parts. It will be very hot in the Limpopo Valley and Lowveld.

North West

The North West will be partly cloudy and hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers over the central parts but scattered in the east.

Free State

Residents can anticipate partly cloudy, windy, and hot to very hot weather with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers in the east but scattered in the extreme east.

Northern Cape

It will be cloudy in the southwest in the morning, but otherwise, it will be fine, windy, warm to hot, and very hot, with heatwave conditions in the north and east, where it will be partly cloudy.

The wind along the coast will be moderate southerly to south-westerly, becoming fresh to strong southerly from the afternoon in the north.

Western Cape

It will be partly cloudy over the southwestern parts and along the south coast until the afternoon. Otherwise, it will be fine and warm to hot but cool in places along the south.

The wind along the coast will be light and variable in places along the south coast in the early morning; otherwise, it will be moderate to fresh south-westerly.

Western half of the Eastern Cape

There will be fog in places in the morning; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot. It will be cloudy in places in the south, with isolated showers and rain along the coast.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly but light westerly early morning.

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape

Morning fog patches, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers along and south of the escarpment, but cloudy and warm to cool along the coast with scattered showers and rain.

The wind along the coast will initially be light to moderate north-easterly; otherwise, it will moderate south-easterly and become moderate to fresh south-westerly in the afternoon.

KwaZulu-Natal

There will be morning fog patches in the interior. Otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot, with scattered showers and thundershowers isolated in the extreme northeast.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh north-easterly, becoming south-easterly in the south in the afternoon.

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