Weather update: Brace for disruptive rain and thunderstorms this New Year’s Eve

The South African Weather Service (Saws) released its latest weather forecast for Sunday, 31 December.

The weather service has warned about disruptive rain leading to flooding in two provinces and severe thunderstorms in three provinces this New Year’s Eve. Here’s what you need to know.

Weather warnings, 31 December

Residents on the south coast and adjacent interior of the Western Cape and the central interior of KwaZulu-Natal have been warned of disruptive rain leading to flooding of roads, low-lying bridges, and formal and informal settlements.

The Saws also warned of severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours and strong winds, resulting in localised flooding and isolated structural damage in places over the central parts of the North-West province, the north-western part of the Free State and the central interior and the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape.

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Sunday, 31 December

Gauteng:

Residents of Gauteng can anticipate partly cloudy and warm conditions, with scattered showers and thundershowers isolated in the north.

The expected UVB sunburn index for the region is categorised as “extreme.”

Therefore, residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Mpumalanga:

Mpumalanga residents can expect morning fog patches along the escarpment and partly cloudy and cool to warm weather with isolated afternoon thundershowers but hot in the Lowveld.

Limpopo:

The day will be partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers in the south and western parts.

North-West province:

A day of cloudy conditions in the west at first awaits the residents of the North-West province and partly cloudy and warm to hot weather, with isolated showers and thundershowers, scattered in the south-east.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State can anticipate cloudy to partly cloudy and cool to warm weather, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers

Northern Cape:

There will be fog patches over the extreme north-west at first, but otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm conditions with isolated showers and thundershowers in the south and east.

Western Cape:

Western Cape residents can expect cloudy and cool to warm weather over the central and eastern parts with rain and isolated showers scattered along the south coast. It will be cloudy along the west coast north of Saldanha Bay in the early morning becoming clear and warm to hot.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Eastern Cape (western half):

Conditions are expected to be partly cloudy to cloudy and warm, with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread along the coast.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

The day will be partly cloudy to cloudy and warm with widespread showers and thundershowers.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to morning fog over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm. It will become cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the extreme north-east.