Weather update: Heatwave moves through SA, expected to last until Thursday

The heatwave that gripped the Eastern Cape and Western Cape has now moved into parts of Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the North West and the Free State, and is expected to last until the end of Thursday.

This despite cloudy conditions and rain being expected in many parts of the country on Wednesday.

Weather warnings

In its regional forecast, the SA Weather Service also warned that extremely high fire danger conditions are expected in places over the central and eastern parts of the Northern Cape, the north-western interior of the Eastern Cape, in places over the Free State and North West and in places in the south-western Bushveld of Limpopo.

🌧️⛈️Weather outlook for Tomorrow, 07 February 2024:

Partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated showers and rain in the south-east and north-west. It will be cool to warm in west with isolated showers and rain in the extreme south-west. pic.twitter.com/uZxputhBcn

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) February 6, 2024

Advisories

A heatwave with persistently high temperatures is expected in places in Gauteng, the western Bushveld of Limpopo, the southern and western Highveld of Mpumalanga, the central and eastern parts of the North West and the north-eastern parts of the Free State until and including Thursday.

Provincial weather forecast

Gauteng:

Partly cloudy in the morning, otherwise fine and hot but very hot in the north.

It will become partly cloudy in the south in the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index: Very high.

Mpumalanga:

Cloudy in the morning with fog in places, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot but very hot in places in the Lowveld.

Isolated showers and thundershowers can be expected along the escarpment and eastern Highveld in the evening.

Limpopo:

Cloudy in the morning with fog patches over the southern escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated thundershowers over the southern escarpment in the evening.

It will become fine in the western and central parts by the afternoon.

North West Province:

Fine and hot to very hot, becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon.

Free State:

Morning fog patches in the north-east, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot, with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers in the extreme east.

Northern Cape:

Fine in the north-east until late morning, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated showers and thundershowers over the central and northern parts.

It will become fine over the western and southern parts by the afternoon.

The wind along the coast will be light and variable in the morning, otherwise moderate southerly to south-westerly.

Western Cape:

Cloudy over the western parts in the morning with light rain in places where it will be cool, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh westerly to north- westerly, becoming moderate to fresh south-westerly from the afternoon but strong along the south-west and western parts of the south coast.

The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme.

Eastern Cape (western half):

Cloudy in places in the morning, otherwise fine and warm to hot.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

Cloudy south of the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with isolated thundershowers in the east.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Morning fog patches over the western interior, otherwise fine and warm to hot but very hot in places in the west and north.

It will become partly cloudy from the afternoon with isolated showers and thundershowers.

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

The expected UVB sunburn index: Very high.