Heatwave hell continues: SA Weather Service warns it’ll be ‘very to extremely hot’ on Thursday

The SA Weather Service has warned of hot, very hot and extremely hot weather conditions on Thursday, thanks to the continuing heatwave gripping most of the country

The service has also issued a yellow level 2 warning of severe thunderstorms with possible strong damaging winds, a large amount of small hail and large hail also possible, that may result in damage to vehicles and structures expected over the eastern and western parts of the Free State, north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape and the western parts of North-West.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected in places over the Northern Cape, northern parts of the Western Cape, western parts of North West, central and western parts of the Free State, northern and western parts of the Eastern Cape, northern parts and the Lowveld of Limpopo, as well as the north-eastern interior of KwaZulu-Natal.

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Heatwave conditions with persistently high temperatures are expected until Friday over the north-eastern parts of Northern Cape, central and eastern parts of the Free State, North West, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the western parts of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as the eastern and northern parts of the Eastern Cape, where it will improve in the west on Friday.

Thursday’s weather forecast

Gauteng:

Very hot in the extreme north, otherwise partly cloudy and hot with isolated thundershowers in the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme

Mpumalanga:

Partly cloudy and hot to very hot, but extremely hot in the extreme east. Isolated afternoon thundershowers are expected over the central and western parts.

Limpopo:

Partly cloudy and warm to hot, but very hot in the extreme east

North West Province:

Fine, becoming partly cloudy and hot to very hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers.

Free State:

Fine, becoming partly cloudy and hot to very hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the northern and eastern parts.

Northern Cape:

Fine and cool along the coast with morning fog patches, otherwise fine and warm to hot, but very hot to extremely hot in the east where it will become partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers in the north-east.

The wind along the coast will be light to moderate southerly to south-easterly, becoming fresh in the afternoon.

Western Cape:

Cool in the south-west where it will be cloudy at first, otherwise fine and warm to hot, but partly cloudy in the south. It will be hot in the eastern interior.

The wind along the coast will be light to moderate north-westerly to westerly becoming southerly to south-westerly in the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape:

Partly cloudy and cool to warm along the coast, otherwise fine and hot to very hot, but partly cloudy from the afternoon.

The wind along the coast will be light north-westerly, becoming light to moderate south-easterly from the morning.

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape:

Cloudy along the coast with drizzle and morning fog along the Wild Coast, otherwise fine and warm to hot, but very hot in the north.

It will become partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms over the interior from the afternoon. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate south-westerly, becoming south-easterly in the afternoon.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Fine and hot to very hot, becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon with isolated showers and thundershowers except in the north-east.

The wind along the coast will be moderate north-easterly north of Richards Bay, otherwise light easterly to south-easterly.

The expected UVB sunburn index: Very High