Weather update: Northern Cape faces thunderstorms, Western Cape braces for damaging winds, and Eastern Cape sweats through heatwave

The South African Weather Service (Saws) released its latest weather forecast for Thursday, 29 February.

The weather service has warned of severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours in parts of Northern Cape, damaging winds along the coast in Western Cape, extremely hot and uncomfortable conditions in the Western Cape and a heatwave in Eastern Cape. Here’s what you need to know.

⛈️Weather outlook for Thursday, 29 February 2024. Partly cloudy and hot to warm, with isolated showers and thundershowers over the western parts. #saws#southafricanweather#weatheroutlook pic.twitter.com/6SkZQtSrsR

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) February 27, 2024

Weather warnings, 29 February

Weather warnings

The weather service issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours, strong winds, and hail leading to localised damage to informal and formal settlements over the northern parts of the Northern Cape.

Saws also issued a warning for damaging winds resulting in localised disruptions to harbours and/or ports, and difficult driving conditions along coastal routes and roads are expected along the coast between Plettenberg Bay and Coffee Bay.

Fire danger

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the Cape Winelands and the Central and Little Karoo of the Western Cape, in places over the interior of the Northern Cape and the western interior of the Eastern Cape.

Advisories

Extremely hot and uncomfortable conditions are expected in places over the Central and Little Karoo of the Western Cape until Friday, and a heat wave with persistently high temperatures is expected over the north-western interior of the Eastern Cape until Saturday.

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Thursday, 29 February

Gauteng:

Residents of Gauteng can anticipate partly cloudy and warm weather but cloudy in the morning.

The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “high.”

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Mpumalanga:

Mpumalanga residents can expect cloudy conditions in the morning with fog patches along the escarpment; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and cool to warm.

Limpopo:

The day will be cloudy in the morning with fog as well as a chance of drizzle along the escarpment; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm.

North-West province:

A day of fine weather in the west at first, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot conditions, awaits North West residents with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers in the west.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State will see cloudy weather with morning fog patches in the extreme east, otherwise fine and warm to hot, becoming partly cloudy with isolated evening showers and thundershowers in the extreme west.

Northern Cape:

There will be morning fog along the coast, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot, with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers over the interior but scattered in the northern interior. It will be extremely hot in the northwest.

Western Cape:

Western Cape residents can expect morning fog along the west and south coast in the morning, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot but extremely hot with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers over the central and eastern interior from the afternoon.

The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “extreme.”

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Eastern Cape (western half):

Morning fog is expected in places over the interior; otherwise, it will be fine and very hot to extremely hot but warm to hot along the coast. It will become partly cloudy in the afternoon.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

Residents can look forward to morning fog in places south of the escarpment, otherwise fine and warm to hot, becoming partly cloudy in the north in the afternoon.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to morning fog patches in the south-western parts, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with isolated light morning showers and rain in the extreme northeastern parts.

The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “extreme.”

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.