Cold fronts bring heavy rain, winds and snow to Western Cape and Eastern Cape

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has released its latest weather forecast for Tuesday, 9 July 2024.

Cold fronts will bring heavy rain, winds and snow to southern South Africa, causing widespread disruptions. Here’s what you need to know.

⛅️🌧️Weather and severe weather alerts tomorrow, 08 July 2024.
As well as the weather outlook for Wednesday, 10 July 2024.#saws #weatheroutlook #southafricanweather pic.twitter.com/g01IM7CvUY

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) July 8, 2024

Weather warnings, 9 July

Impact-based warnings

The weather services have issued an orange level 6 warning of disruptive rain leading to flooding and possible mudslides over the City of Cape Town, Drakenstein, and Stellenbosch municipalities in the Western Cape.

Disruptive rain leading to flooding and damage to roads and bridges is expected over the West Coast, the northern parts of the Cape Winelands, and the western parts of the Overberg districts in the Western Cape. A yellow level 4 warning was issued.

Saws also warns of a yellow level 2 warning for damaging winds resulting in damage to property, difficult driving conditions, and communication and power interruptions over the western and central interior of the Eastern Cape.

A yellow level 4 warning for damaging winds is expected over the central and eastern parts of the Western Cape and the southern parts of Namakwa district municipality in the Northern Cape, resulting in damage to property, difficult driving conditions, communication and power interruptions, and injuries due to fling debris.

Damaging winds and waves are also expected between Port Edwards and Durban and between Lamberts Bay and Cape Agulhas, leading to disruption of small harbours and/or ports, risk to small and medium vessels of dragging anchors, and danger to life from large waves along the coastal routes and coastal communities. A yellow level 4 warning was issued.

The weather service issued a yellow level 6 warning for damaging winds and waves expected between Plettenberg Bay and Port Edward, leading to disruption of small harbours and/or ports, risk to small and medium vessels of dragging anchors, and danger to life from large waves along the coastal routes and coastal communities.

An orange level 6 warning for damaging waves is also expected between Table Bay and Struisbaai.

Damaging waves, leading to difficulty in navigation at sea, are expected between Cape Agulhas and Plettenberg Bay. A Yellow level 4 warning was issued.

Saws has also issued a yellow level 6 warning for storm surge-leading flooding of low-lying coastal areas, and disruptions to beachfront activities are expected between Plettenberg Bay and East London.

A storm surge, leading to localised flooding of low-lying coastal areas and disruptions to beachfront activities, is also expected between East London and Mazeppa Bay. A yellow level 4 warning was issued.

Advisories

A series of significant cold fronts are expected to affect the southern parts of the country from Monday to Friday. The public and small stock farmers are advised that intermittent heavy downpours, snowfalls, very cold conditions, strong coastal and interior winds, and very rough seas can be expected.

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Tuesday, 9 July

Gauteng:

Residents of Gauteng can anticipate fine and cold conditions.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Mpumalanga:

Mpumalanga residents can expect fine and cold to cool weather.

Limpopo:

The day will be fine and cold to cool.

North-West province:

Fine and cold with morning frost awaits North West residents.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State will see fine and cold conditions with morning frost. Light snow or showers are expected in the far south at first, where it will be partly cloudy.

Northern Cape:

The eastern parts of the province will be fine and cold, but cool in the north. For the rest of the province, cloudy and very cold weather with isolated showers and rain in the southern interior is expected where snowfalls are likely; otherwise, it will be fine and cold but cool in the north.

Western Cape:

Western Cape residents can expect cloudy to partly cloudy and very cold to cold conditions, with widespread showers and rain over the south-western parts but isolated to scattered along the west coast and the central interior.

Eastern Cape (western half):

It starts with morning frost over the interior, with partly cloudy and cool conditions. Isolated showers of rain are expected along the South Coast and adjacent interior.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

It will be cloudy and cold with morning snowfalls north of the escarpment; otherwise, it will be fine and cool.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to fine and cool weather, but cold in places in the west.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.