Heatwave conditions in parts of Northern Cape to persist until Tuesday

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned residents in the Richtersveld municipality in the Northern Cape to expect a heatwave with “persistently high temperatures” until Tuesday.

“When the temperature is extremely high, humans’ ability to cool their bodies through sweating is reduced. This can be a real threat that leads to hyperthermia. If a heatwave occurs during a drought, which dries out vegetation, it can contribute to veldfires,” warned the weather service on Monday.

The weather service has also issued a warning for extremely high fire danger conditions over the western parts of the Namakwa district (Northern Cape), Matzikama municipality (Western Cape) and Cederberg
municipality (Western Cape) on Tuesday.

“Conditions are such that the FDI index is above 75. Under these conditions, fires may develop and spread rapidly, resulting in damage to property and possible loss of human and/or animal life.”

Tuesday’s weather forecast

Gauteng: Fine and cool weather. The expected UVB sunburn index: Very High.

Mpumalanga: Fine and cool but partly cloudy in the east at first with fog patches along the escarpment.

Limpopo: Fine and cool but partly cloudy in the east at first with fog patches along the escarpment.

North West: Fine and cool weather.

Free State: Morning fog patches in the east, otherwise fine and cool.

Northern Cape: Fine and cool to warm, but hot along the coast. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh northeasterly to easterly.

Western Cape: Fine and cool to warm, but hot in places over the interior of the West Coast District. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate northeasterly to easterly. The expected UVB sunburn index: Low.

Western half of the Eastern Cape: Fine and cool to warm. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh northeasterly.

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Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Fine and cool weather. The wind along the coast will be Light to moderate south
westerly, becoming moderate north easterly by late afternoon.

KwaZulu-Natal: Fine and warm but cool in the west. The wind along the coast will be gentle north-westerly at first otherwise moderate northerly to north-easterly but gentle to moderate southerly to south-westerly south of Richards Bay. The expected UVB sunburn index: Very High.