Weather alert: Strong winds, flooding and infrastructure damage in parts of North West and Free State

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has released its latest weather forecast for Saturday, 1 March 2025.

Severe thunderstorms could bring floods and damage to North West and Free State, while extreme fire danger is expected in the Western Cape. Here’s what you need to know.

Forecast for today and tomorrow, 28 February 2025 and 01 February 2025:
Isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers over the central and eastern parts of the country, but light rain along the south coast.⚠️Severe Thunderstorms#saws #saweather pic.twitter.com/Hd1qpAvkaK

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) February 28, 2025

Weather warnings, Saturday, 1 March

Impact-based warnings

The weather service has issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms leading to strong damaging winds, localised flooding of susceptible areas, roads, bridges, and dirt roads, and danger to life due to fast-flowing streams, as well as localised damages to infrastructure, is expected over the central and eastern parts of the North West and the eastern parts of the Free State.

Fire danger warnings

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the Breede Valley Municipality in the Western Cape.

ALSO READ:

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Saturday, 1 March:

Gauteng:

Residents of Gauteng can expect cloudy and cool to warm weather with scattered showers and thundershowers.

The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “high.”

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Mpumalanga:

Mpumalanga residents can expect morning fog patches along the escarpment; otherwise, conditions will be cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers except in the Lowveld, where it will be partly cloudy and hot.

Limpopo:

The day will start with morning fog patches along the escarpment; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers except in the Lowveld and Limpopo Valley.

North West:

Cloudy and cool to warm weather awaits North West residents with scattered showers and thundershowers.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State will experience morning fog patches in the eastern part; otherwise, it will be cloudy and cool to warm, with scattered showers and thundershowers but isolated over the southwestern parts.

Northern Cape:

The day will have morning fog patches along the coast; otherwise, the weather will be partly cloudy and warm with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers over the central and eastern parts.

Western Cape:

Western Cape residents can expect cloudy conditions with morning fog patches along the west coast; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm but hot in places over the interior. It will be cloudy with isolated showers and rain over the south coast and the adjacent interior from the afternoon.

The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “extreme.”

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Eastern Cape (western half):

It will start with morning fog patches; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm to cool with isolated showers and thundershowers over the interior, spreading to the coast overnight.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

The day will have morning fog patches; otherwise, the weather will be partly cloudy and warm to cool with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated along the coast.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to morning fog patches over the interior; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers in the west.

The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “high.”

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.