Weather alert: Sever storms and floods in Gauteng, North West, Free State, Limpopo and Mpumalanga and fire warnings

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has released its latest weather forecast for Thursday, 16 January 2025.

South Africa braces for severe thunderstorms and fire danger conditions. Heavy downpours, hail, and high winds pose risks across multiple regions. Here’s what you need to know.

Weather warnings, Wednesday, 16 January

Impact-based warnings

The weather service has issued a yellow level two warning for severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours and damaging winds, hail, and excessive lightning leading to localised flooding of roads and settlements and localised damage to infrastructure, which are expected over Gauteng, central and eastern parts of North West, eastern parts of Free State, southwestern parts of Limpopo, and western parts of the Mpumalanga Highveld.

Fire danger warnings

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over Tsantsabane and Gamagara Local Municipalities in the Northern Cape.

ALSO READ: Severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours, flooding and infrastructure damage and high fire danger

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Thursday, 16 January:

Gauteng:

Residents of Gauteng can expect hot weather in the north; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers.

Mpumalanga:

Mpumalanga residents can enjoy cloudy and cool to warm conditions with isolated thundershowers but scattered in the west.

Limpopo:

The day will be partly cloudy in the southwest in the morning; otherwise, it will be cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered in the southwest.

North West:

Partly cloudy, windy and warm to hot weather awaits North West residents with scattered showers and thundershowers but isolated over the western parts.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State will see partly cloudy, windy and warm to hot conditions, with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered over the eastern parts.

Northern Cape:

The day will be fine, windy and warm to hot.

Western Cape:

Western Cape residents can expect partly cloudy and cool to warm weather along the southern coastline; otherwise, it will be fine and hot.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Eastern Cape (western half):

There will be fine and warm weather, but partly cloudy along the coast in the morning.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

The day will be cloudy with light rain and showers along the coast; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and cool to warm. It will become cloudy south of the escarpment in the evening with fog in places over the interior.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to cloudy and cool conditions with isolated showers and rain.