Weather: Severe thunderstorms in KZN and Mpumalanga and fire danger

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has released its latest weather forecast for Wednesday, 9 October 2024.

The weather service has warned of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, excessive lightning and hail in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga and extreme fire danger in the Northern Cape and Western Cape. Here’s what you need to know.

Weather warnings, 9 October

Impact-based warnings

The weather service has issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, excessive lightning and hail that will result in localised damage to informal/formal houses (roofs) over an open area, structural damages (homes, car ports, etc) and localised service disruptions and fire incidents due to power surges. This is expected to happen in the western parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the eastern highveld escarpment of Mpumalanga.

Fire danger warnings

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected in places over the central and eastern parts of the Northern Cape and the north-eastern parts of the Western Cape.

ALSO READ: Weather: Heatwave and fire danger warnings for Northern, Eastern and Western Cape

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Wednesday, 9 October:

Gauteng:

Residents of Gauteng can expect fine and warm conditions becoming partly cloudy with isolated afternoon thunderstorms.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Mpumalanga:

Mpumalanga residents can expect partly cloudy skies and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers, scattered over the eastern highveld and escarpment areas. It will be hot in places on the lowveld.

Limpopo:

The day will be cloudy in the east in the morning with a chance of drizzle along the escarpment; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers in the south.

North-West province:

Fine weather awaits North West residents in the east at first; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy, windy and warm to hot with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers, except in the extreme north-west.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State will see fine conditions in the east at first; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy, windy and warm, with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers.

Northern Cape:

The day will be cool along the coast where it will be cloudy in the morning with fog in places; otherwise, it will be fine, windy and warm to hot but partly cloudy in the east with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers.

Western Cape:

Western Cape residents can expect cloudy skies along the coastal areas in the morning with fog in places; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm but hot over the eastern interior.

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 warm weather along the coast; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and hot with isolated thunderstorms, except for the coastal belt.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

There will be warm weather along the coast; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and hot with isolated thunderstorms, except for the coastal belt, west of the Kei River mouth.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to morning fog over the interior; otherwise it will be fine and warm, becoming partly cloudy with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the west.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.