Weather alert: Severe thunderstorms, heavy rain and damaging winds in 4 provinces

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has released its latest weather forecast for Thursday, 6 March 2025.

Saws warns of severe thunderstorms in Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, while fire danger alerts remain high in parts of the Northern and Eastern Cape. Here’s what you need to know.

Weather warnings, Thursday, 6 March

Impact-based warnings

The weather service has issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours, damaging winds, excessive lightning and hail, leading to localised flooding of susceptible roads and settlements as well as localised damage to infrastructure, which are expected over Gauteng, extreme east of North West, Mpumalanga Highveld, and the southern parts of Limpopo.

Fire danger warnings

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected in places over Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, and Kai Garib Local Municipality in the Northern Cape.

ALSO READ: KZN disaster teams on high alert following level 5 flood warning

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Thursday, 6 March:

Gauteng:

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

Mpumalanga:

Mpumalanga residents can expect morning fog in places on the Highveld, otherwise it will be cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered in the west. It will become partly cloudy and hot in the Lowveld in the afternoon.

Limpopo:

The day will start off partly cloudy in the west at first, otherwise cloudy and warm with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers, except for the north-eastern parts. It will become partly cloudy and hot in the Lowveld in the afternoon.

North West:

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

Free State:

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

Northern Cape:

The day will start off cloudy at first along the coast and adjacent interior with fog patches over the south-western parts in the early morning, otherwise conditions will be fine and warm to hot but partly cloudy, windy and hot, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers over the central and eastern parts.

Western Cape:

Western Cape residents can expect partly cloudy and cool to warm conditions, but cloudy along the south coast at first, with morning fog patches over in the extreme south-east. It will be hot in places in the north-east.

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 be partly cloudy and warm along the coast, otherwise conditions will be fine and hot to very hot over the interior, becoming partly in the north with isolated thunderstorms.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

The day will be fine and hot becoming partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms over the interior in the afternoon.

KwaZulu-Natal:

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

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.