Weather alert: Heavy rain, flooding and strong winds across SA

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has released its latest weather forecast for Wednesday, 19 February 2025.

Heavy rain and strong winds are expected across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State, and North West, with warnings for flooding and difficult conditions. Here’s what you need to know.

Weather update for today and tomorrow, 18-19 February 2025:
⛈Isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers in most parts of RSA but widespread in the east. ⚠️Disruptive rainfall and wind alerts are issued.#saws #weatheroutlook #southafricanweather pic.twitter.com/35dO5DGnLG

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) February 18, 2025

Weather warnings, Wednesday, 19 February

Impact-based warnings

The weather service has issued a orange level 2 warning for disruptive rain leading to flooding of roads, bridges and settlements, damage to property and infrastructure and danger to life is expected over Gauteng, in the north and along the coast and adjacent interior of KwaZulu-Natal, extreme south-eastern parts of the Eastern Cape, eastern parts of Free State and North West as well as the south-western parts of Mpumalanga.

Disruptive rain, leading to localised flooding of susceptible bridges, roads, and settlements and damage to property and infrastructure, is also expected over KwaZulu-Natal, central and eastern parts of the Free State and North West, western Bushveld of Limpopo, central and south-western parts of Mpumalanga, and the extreme eastern prats of the Eastern Cape. A yellow level 2 warning was issued.

Damaging winds, resulting in difficulty in navigation, dragging anchors, and small vessels taking on water, are also expected between Cape St. Francis and Gansbaai.

Fire danger warnings

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the western parts of the Western Cape, along the Garden Route, and in the adjacent interior.

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Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Wednesday, 19 February:

Gauteng:

Residents of Gauteng can expect morning fog in places; otherwise, cloudy and cool weather with widespread showers.

Mpumalanga:

Mpumalanga residents can expect morning fog patches over the escarpment; otherwise, it will be cloudy and cool to warm with widespread showers and thundershowers but scattered in the north and north-east.

Limpopo:

The day will start with morning fog along the escarpment; otherwise, it will be cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers but isolated in the extreme north-east and widespread in the south-western Bushveld.

North West:

Cloudy and cool weather awaits North West residents with widespread to scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the extreme west.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State will experience cloudy and cool to warm conditions with scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the south-west.

Northern Cape:

The day will start with morning fog patches along the north coast at first; otherwise, the weather will be partly cloudy and warm to hot and windy, but cool along the coast, with isolated showers and thundershowers over the interior but scattered in the south.

Western Cape:

Western Cape residents can expect cloudy weather along the south coast, where it will be windy; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot, but very hot in the west with isolated thundershowers in the north and northwestern parts.

Eastern Cape (western half):

It will be cloudy and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers over the interior.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

The day will start with cloudy and cold, but cool along the coast with scattered showers and thundershowers but widespread in the east.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to cloudy and cool conditions but cold in the south-west with widespread showers and thundershowers.