Weather update: Light snowfall predicted in Eastern Cape, Lesotho on Saturday

South Africans have been told to brace for cold conditions on the weekend and snow is even predicted in a few places on Saturday.

Weather warnings

In its regional forecast, SA Weather Service issued a yellow level 2 warning for damaging winds leading to difficulty in navigation at sea between Cape Point and East London into Sunday.

A yellow level 2 warning was issued for damaging waves leading to possible coastal infrastructure damage in exposed bays is expected between Cape Agulhas and Plettenberg Bay from Saturday afternoon into Sunday evening.

A yellow level 2 warning was issued for disruptive rain resulting in flooding of settlements, roads, low-lying areas and bridges in places over the coastal regions and adjacent interior of the western parts of the Eastern Cape.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the extreme eastern part of the Northern Cape, western part of the Free State and south western part of the North West.

Yellow level 2 warning: Damaging Winds
Affected area: Eastern Cape.
Valid : 01/06/2024 from 00:00 SAST until 02/06/2024 @ 00:00 SAST.#saws#weatheroutlook#southafricanweather pic.twitter.com/48tBOkPCaJ

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) May 31, 2024

Advisories

A cut-off low pressure system is expected to result in cold, wet and windy conditions over southern high-lying areas of the Namakwa region of the Northern Cape as well as the central and eastern interior of the Western Cape on Saturday, spreading to the rest of the Northern Cape interior, Eastern Cape interior and Free State as well along Lesotho borders from Sunday to Monday.

Possible light snowfalls are expected in places over the high ground of the Eastern Cape, as well as Lesotho.

Provincial weather forecast

Gauteng:

Fine and cool. The expected UVB sunburn index: High.

Mpumalanga:

Fine and cool, but warm in the Lowveld.

Limpopo:

Fine and cool to warm.

North West Province:

Fine, windy and cool to warm, becoming partly cloudy in the extreme west.

Free State:

Fine in the central and eastern parts, otherwise partly cloudy, windy and cool to warm, with isolated showers and thundershowers in the south.

Northern Cape:

Cloudy in the south, otherwise to partly cloudy and cold to cool, with isolated showers and thundershowers in the south east.

Fine in the extreme west with morning fog patches in the south.

The wind along the coast will be light and variable becoming light south-easterly to easterly from the evening.

Western Cape:

Cloudy and cold to cool with isolated to scattered showers and rain along the south coast and adjacent interior.

Morning fog patches are expected in the west. The wind along the coast will be light and variable in the west becoming light to moderate south-easterly from the evening, otherwise moderate to fresh easterly reaching strong to gale from the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index: Low.

Eastern Cape (western half):

Cloudy and cold to cool with scattered showers and rain, but widespread along the coast and adjacent interior. Isolated showers and thundershowers are expected in the north east.

The wind along the coast will be Strong to Gale force south-easterly.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

Cloudy and cold to cool with isolated showers and thundershowers in north east but scattered over interior. It will be widespread showers and rain in south west.

The wind along the coast will be Strong to gale force easterly.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Morning fog over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and cool but warm in the north-east. It will become cloudy in the afternoon with isolated showers and rain in the south and east up to Richards Bay.

The wind along the coast will be gentle to moderate northerly to north-easterly, becoming fresh southerly to south-westerly south of Durban from late morning, spreading northwards.

The expected UVB sunburn index: Moderate.