Great rugby weather this weekend

It is a selfie-weekend as most of the country’s weather will be sunny and clear. It is also adjusted alert level 3 lockdown, so masking up and venturing to Harties will not get you arrested for chilling down the drag this week.

The People’s Weather Channel’s Candice McKechnie says that there is a big high-pressure cell that is extending across the country and temperatures will be much warmer after last week’s long queues to get gas in the cold.

Warmer, sunny weather will also impact everyone’s moods if the psychologists are right, and this means that there may be more smiles behind masks for the next handful of days. But we should have already been grinning a bit.

Eskom only load-shed the country once during the cold snap, and surprising as it was, it is still reason enough to send a thank you mail to De Ruyter and company. But let us not jinx our recent good fortune. Rather count our blessings. Lights on, looting stopped, booze came back for now and state capture’s godfather Jacob Zuma will stay behind bars.

Saturday is rugby day, and it will be fine and sunny. While Mexican waves at Ellis Park will be imaginary this weekend, the match promises to be electric. After all, we are the world champions and last week’s loss was an anomaly.

We are in for a win, why else would the weather be perfect for a braai, and why else would the President have given beer back? We can cheer on the boys in green with WhatsApp, Twitter and other social media posts. They will feel the energy, and it makes good for great reading after the match. If we lose, at least we can drown our sorrows with more than just water.

The rest of South Africa will be mild along the southwest coast and for the central and north-eastern parts the temperatures will peak in the upper teens and low twenties says McKechnie.

“A warm day is in store for the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape and the lowveld. Maximum temperatures are expected to peak in the mid-twenties.”

Temperatures will continue to rise on Sunday as next week’s Mango business rescue and liquidation hearings approach. Some temperatures in the lowveld, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern- and Northern Cape will warm into the upper twenties. A bit of cloud hugs the Western Cape coast, which keeps temperatures cool. Fresh westerly winds pick up along the south coast and for the interior parts of the Cape provinces on Sunday afternoon. A gentle breeze will rustle a few leaves for the rest of the country this weekend.

Weather provided by the People’s Weather Channel DSTV channel 180 and OpenView channel 115.