Level 2 warning: Severe thunderstorms, excessive lightning expected in Eastern Cape

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms with strong winds, excessive lightning and heavy downpours in parts of the Eastern Cape on Thursday.

The weather service has urged residents in places south of the escarpment in the eastern half of the Eastern Cape to look out for localised flooding of susceptible roads and settlements as well as dangerous driving conditions.

A yellow level 2 warning for waves has been issued again. This will result in difficulty in navigation at sea between Alexander Bay and Plettenberg Bay, subsiding in the evening.

Thursday’s weather forecast

Gauteng: Fine and warm. The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme

Mpumalanga: Fine and warm but hot in the Lowveld.

Limpopo: Fine and warm to hot but partly cloudy in the Limpopo Valley in the afternoon.

North West: Fine and warm, becoming partly cloudy except in the east.

Free State: Partly cloudy and warm, with isolated showers and thundershowers in the south western parts.

Northern Cape: Fine and warm along the coast and its adjacent interior, otherwise partly cloudy and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers but cloudy in the central and south-eastern parts where scattered showers and thundershowers are expected. The wind along the coast will be moderate southerly becoming strong in the afternoon.

Western Cape: Cloudy along the south-coast, otherwise fine to partly cloudy and cool with isolated afternoon thundershowers in the north-east. The wind along the coast will be fresh south-easterly becoming strong in the west by afternoon. It will be light southerly to south-westerly along the south-coast. The expected UVB sunburn index: Very High

Western half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the north. The wind along the coast will be moderate south-easterly, becoming south-easterly in the evening.

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Partly cloudy and cool to warm, becoming cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread in places south of escapement The wind along the coast will be moderate southerly to south-easterly, becoming south-westerly later.

KwaZulu-Natal: Morning fog over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm, but fine in the north. Isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers are expected in the south. The wind along the coast will be moderate southerly to south-westerly south of Mandeni at first, otherwise moderate north-easterly.