Level 5 warning: Disruptive rain expected in four provinces

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued an orange level 5 warning for disruptive rainfall over the southern escarpment of the Eastern Cape, central and eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Lowveld and escarpment of Mpumalanga as well as the eastern and northern parts of Limpopo province, on Friday.

A yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms has also been issued over the central and north-eastern parts of the Eastern Cape, central and eastern parts of the Free state, Gauteng, Highveld of Mpumalanga, western and southern parts of Limpopo as well as the extreme eastern and north-eastern parts of the North-West.

According to the weather service, the widespread heavy rain is due to the slow-moving nature of a cut-off low.

“Due to the extensive cloud cover associated with this system, cooler daytime temperatures can also be expected over much of South Africa,” said the weather service.

Friday’s weather forecast

Gauteng: Cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers. The expected UVB sunburn index: Moderate.

Mpumalanga: Cloudy and cool to warm with widespread showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the extreme west.

Limpopo: Cloudy and cool to warm with widespread showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the west.

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North West: Partly cloudy to cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers but isolated in the extreme west.

Free State: Partly cloudy to cloudy and cool to warm, with scattered showers and thundershowers but isolated in the extreme west.

Northern Cape: Morning fog along the coast, otherwise fine and warm to hot. The wind along the coast will be moderate south-westerly.

Western Cape: Cloudy to partly cloudy in the east with morning fog along the west-coast, otherwise fine and warm to hot but very hot in the west.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly but south-westerly along the west-coast. The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme.

Western half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy in places, otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and rain in the northern east.

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The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh north-easterly, becoming strong west of St Francis by late afternoon.

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy and cool with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread in the east. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-easterly.

KwaZulu-Natal: Cloudy and cool with widespread showers and thundershowers but warm in places in the east. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-westerly. The expected UVB sunburn index: High.