Weather alert: Severe thunderstorms with flooding and hail for multiple provinces and fire danger

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has released its latest weather forecast for Tuesday, 17 September 2024.

The weather service has warned of severe thunderstorms causing heavy downpours, strong damaging winds, and small hail, leading to localised flooding in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, the Free State, the North West, and the Northern Cape, and extremely high fire danger. Here’s what you need to know.

Weather warnings, 17 September

Impact-based warnings

The weather service has warned of severe thunderstorms resulting in heavy downpours, strong damaging winds, and large amounts of small hail leading to localised flooding of susceptible roads and bridges, damage to infrastructure, and settlements. A yellow level two warning was issued over KwaZulu-Natal, the northern parts of the Eastern Cape, the southern parts of Gauteng, the Free State, the southern parts of the North West, and the eastern parts of the Northern Cape.

Fire danger warnings

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape, the western Bushveld, as well as the Limpopo Valley.

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Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Tuesday, 17 September:

Gauteng:

Residents of Gauteng can anticipate cloudy conditions in the morning, otherwise it will be partly cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers but isolated in the north.

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 skies in the south and east; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers, except in the Lowveld. Morning fog is expected over the escarpment.

Limpopo:

The day will be partly cloudy in the south; otherwise, it will be fine and cool to warm.

North-West province:

Cloudy, windy, and warm to hot conditions await North West residents, with isolated showers and thundershowers scattered in the south.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State will see cloudy, windy and cool to warm weather, with widespread showers and thundershowers.

Northern Cape:

Partly cloudy, windy and cool to warm conditions are expected, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers. It will be fine in the west.

Western Cape:

Western Cape residents can expect partly cloudy weather in the north-east; otherwise, it will be fine and cool but warm over the central and eastern interior, becoming cloudy along the south coast in the evening. Morning fog patches are expected over the central and north-western parts.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Eastern Cape (western half):

There will be partly cloudy skies and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers in the extreme east.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

There will be cloudy skies and cool weather with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the southwest.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to morning fog in places over the interior; otherwise, it will be cloudy and cool to warm with widespread showers and thundershowers but scattered in the extreme south and northeast. It will be cold in places in the west.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.