Weather update: Severe rainfall, flooding, and thunderstorms this Thursday

The South African Weather Service (Saws) released its latest weather forecast for Thursday, 28 December.

The weather service has warned about continiual disruptive rain leading to flooding in three provinces, severe thunderstorms in two provinces and wind leading to difficulty in navigation at the sea. Here’s what you need to know.

Weather warnings, 28 December

Residents in the Northern Cape, except the extreme north-east and the south-western parts of Free State, have been warned of disruptive rain leading to flooding of roads and settlements (formal and informal), as well as damage to property, infrastructure, loss of livelihood, and livestock. The warning is a yellow Level 4 warning.

A yellow Level 3 warning of disruptive rain leading to flooding of roads, low-lying bridges, and formal/informal settlements was also issued for the Overberg, southern Cape Winelands, and coastal areas of the Garden Route of the Western Cape on Saturday and Sunday.

In the Central Karoo of the Western Cape as well as the extreme south-eastern parts of the Northern Cape, there is a warning of severe thunderstorms leading to localised flooding of susceptible settlement roads. In low-lying areas, isolated structural damage is expected.

Wind leading to difficulty in navigation at sea is also expected between Table Bay and Cape Agulhas.

Lives lost

Around seven people lost their lives as a result of the floods.

ALSO READ: Weather update: Thunderstorms and more flooding expected on Wednesday

Dylan Meyrick, spokesperson for IPSS Medical Rescue, informed The Citizen that in the early morning hours, a mother, father, and their 8-year-old daughter were swept away while attempting the crossing.

Upon reaching the riverbank, the mother successfully notified the police, prompting rescuers to be summoned in an effort to locate the father and daughter.

The recovery of the girl’s body took place on Tuesday.

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Thursday, 28 December

Gauteng:

Residents of Gauteng can anticipate cloudy conditions in the morning but otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers in the afternoon.

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

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

Mpumalanga:

Mpumalanga residents can expect morning fog patches along the escarpment, but otherwise cloudy and cool but warm conditions in places in the extreme north-east. Isolated showers and thundershowers can be expected in the afternoon.

Limpopo:

The day will be warm in places in the extreme north and west, but otherwise cloudy and cool with isolated thundershowers except in the extreme north-west.

North-West Province:

A day of partly cloudy and warm conditions awaits the residents of the North-West Province, with scattered showers and thundershowers but isolated in the east.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State can anticipate morning fog patches over the extreme east, but otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers, and widespread over the south-western parts.

Northern Cape:

Residents can anticipate morning fog along the coast, becoming fine and cool in the afternoon but otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers but widespread in the east.

Western Cape:

Along the West Coast, Western Cape residents can expect cloudy conditions in the morning becoming fine and warm, but otherwise fine, becoming partly cloudy and warm to hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers over the eastern interior and scattered in the extreme east.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Eastern Cape (western half):

Conditions are expected to be partly cloudy and warm, becoming cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers over interior but scattered in the north.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

A fog day with light drizzle is anticipated in places south of the escarpment in the morning, otherwise cloudy and cool with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the south.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to morning fog over the interior, otherwise cloudy and warm, but cool in the south-west with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers but scattered in the west.

Additional reporting by Kyle Zeeman