Weather alert: Severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and high fire conditions forecast

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has released its latest weather forecast for Wednesday, 12 March 2025.

Saws warns of severe thunderstorms in parts of North West, Free State, Gauteng and Limpopo, and damaging winds at sea in parts of Western Cape.

Meanwhile fire danger alerts remain high in parts of the Northern and Western Cape. Here’s what you need to know.

Weather warnings, Wednesday, 12 March

Impact-based warnings

The weather service has issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms leading to localised flooding of susceptible areas and roads and settlements as well as localised damage to infrastructure, settlements, property, vehicles, livelihood and livestock.

These are expected over the central parts of North West and Free State, the northern parts of Gauteng and extreme south central parts of Limpopo.

A yellow 4evel 4 warning has also been issued for damaging wind leading to difficulty in navigation at sea between the Western Cape’s Saldanha Bay and Cape Agulhas in the evening.

Fire danger warnings

Extremely high fire conditions are expected in places over the Namakwa district in the Northern Cape and the West Coast district in the Western Cape.

Advisories

Extremely hot and uncomfortable conditions are expected over the interior of the West Coast district.

ALSO READ: Brace for severe weather in Gauteng, Free State and North West

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Wednesday, 12 March:

Gauteng:

Residents of Gauteng can expect partly cloudy and cool to warm weather with isolated 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 cloudy weather conditions in the morning with fog along the escarpment, otherwise it will be partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers.

Limpopo:

The day will be cloudy along the Lowveld in the morning, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers.

North West:

Weather conditions will be fine in the west at first, otherwise it will be partly cloudy to cloudy and warm, with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the extreme east.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State will experience morning fog patches in the extreme east where it will be cool, otherwise it will be fine to partly cloudy and warm, with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the east.

Northern Cape:

The day will start off with morning fog along the coast where it will be cool, otherwise conditions will be fine and warm to hot, becoming partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers over the eastern parts in the afternoon.

Western Cape:

Western Cape residents can expect fine and very hot to extremely hot conditions over the western interior, otherwise it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot. It will be cloudy along the south coast, with drizzle from late evening.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Eastern Cape (western half):

There will be Fog in places in the morning, otherwise conditions will be cloudy and warm with isolated afternoon thundershowers over the northern parts.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

The day will start off with fog in places in the morning, otherwise it will be cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can expect morning fog over the interior, otherwise conditions will be cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers. It will be partly cloudy in the west.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.