Heavy rain, hail and thunderstorms expected in four provinces on Christmas Day

While load shedding will be suspended from 25 December until 5am on 26 December, some provinces may, however, have to deal with bad weather on Christmas Day.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a yellow level 3 warning for severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours, large amounts of small hail, damaging winds, and excessive lightning in the central and eastern parts of the Free State, escarpment and mid-lands in Kwazulu-Natal, as well as extreme eastern parts of the Eastern Cape.

A yellow level 2 warning has also been issued for severe thunderstorms with hail, strong
damaging winds and heavy downpour over Gert Sibanda District Municipality of Mpumalanga.

READ MORE: Expect heavy downpours this Christmas

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality, John Taolo Gatsewe District Municipality in the Northern Cape, and the eastern parts of the North-West Province.

Sunday’s weather forecast

Gauteng: Partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated afternoon thundershowers. The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme.

Mpumalanga: Fine and warm becoming partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered in the south.

Limpopo: Fine and hot to very hot weather, becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon.

North West: Partly cloudy and warm to hot weather, with isolated showers and thundershowers except over the northern parts.

Free State: Fine weather in the west, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the east.

Northern Cape: Fine and cool to warm in the west, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers in the extreme north-eastern. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly reaching strong from the afternoon.

Western Cape: Mostly cloudy and cool to warm with light rain over the eastern parts of the south coast, clearing from the west from the afternoon. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-westerly reaching strong north of Table Bay, becoming southeasterly from the late afternoon and moderating from the east. The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme.

ALSO READ:Level 2 warning: Severe thunderstorms, heavy rain expected in KZN on Saturday

Western half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy and cool with isolated showers and rain, becoming partly cloudy by late afternoon. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly.

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy and cool with isolated showers and rain but scattered in the
east. The wind along the coast will be moderate south-westerly.

KwaZulu-Natal: Partly cloudy in the north at first, otherwise cloudy and cool but warm in the north. Scattered showers and thundershowers are expected, but isolated in the extreme north-east.

The wind along the coast will be moderate northerly to north-westerly in the extreme north at first, otherwise moderate to fresh south-westerly. The expected UVB sunburn index: Low.