Weather update: Heatwave warnings in parts of South Africa

While much of the country will experience at least some rain on Wednesday, the heatwave gripping the North West, Free State and Northern Cape is expected to last until the weekend.

Weather warnings

In its regional forecast, the SA Weather Service said that extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the Beaufort West municipality in the Western Cape and Khai-Ma municipality in the Northern Cape.

🌧️⛈️Weather outlook for Tomorrow, 21 February 2024:

Fine over the western interior, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms in the east. It will be cool to warm in the south with light rain along the south coast. pic.twitter.com/n2sf7aepCE

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) February 20, 2024

Advisories

A heat wave with persistently high temperatures is expected over the Free State, the eastern parts of the Northern Cape, and the southern and western parts of the North-West until Thursday but persisting over the entire North West from Wednesday until Saturday.

Provincial weather forecast

Gauteng:

Fine and hot but very hot in the extreme north, becoming partly cloudy with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers.

The expected UVB sunburn index: Moderate.

Mpumalanga:

Cloudy with morning fog patches in the east, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers over the Highveld.

Limpopo:

Cloudy in the morning, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers over the central parts in the morning.

North West Province:

Partly cloudy and hot to very hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers.

Free State:

Morning fog patches in the east, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the west.

Northern Cape:

Cloudy with morning fog along the coast, otherwise fine and very hot but extremely hot in the north-east where it will become partly cloudy by the afternoon.

The wind along the coast will be light and variable becoming moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly from the afternoon.

Western Cape:

Fine and hot over the north-eastern interior, otherwise cloudy to partly cloudy and warm with light rain in the south-west in the early morning spreading along the south coast towards the afternoon.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh westerly to south-westerly becoming moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly from late morning, but strong along the west and south-west coast in the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme.

Eastern Cape (western half):

Fine and warm to hot, but cloudy and cool with light isolated showers and rain in places along the coast and adjacent interior from the afternoon.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly, reaching strong in places.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

Warm with morning fog in places along the coast and adjacent interior, otherwise fine and hot to very hot. It will become cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers from the afternoon.

The wind along the coast will be light to moderate north-easterly early morning, otherwise fresh to strong south-westerly.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Morning fog in places over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot. Scattered showers and thundershowers are expected in the south-west, otherwise isolated except in the north-east.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh easterly to north-easterly.

The expected UVB sunburn index: High.