Weather update: Severe thunderstorms and flooding expected on Tuesday

Much of the country can expect thundershowers and a chance of flooding, again, on Tuesday.

The SA Weather Service forecasts that Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal (which has been the hardest hit since December) should expect this extreme weather, though rain is also anticipated elsewhere.

The service issued a yellow level 1 warning for severe thunderstorms leading to heavy downpours, strong winds, hail and excessive lightning over the south-western parts of North West, extreme north-eastern Northern Cape and the western Free State.

A yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours leading to localised flooding was issued for Gauteng, the highveld and escarpment of Mpumalanga, the extreme southern parts of Limpopo and in places over the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the Walter Sisulu local municipality of the Eastern Cape, the Matzikama and Bergrivier municipalties of the Western Cape, and the central and eastern parts of the Northern Cape and western and southern parts of the Free State.

A steep upper-air system is expected to affect the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape, parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo until Thursday. The public is advised that stormy conditions such as severe thunderstorms and disruptive rainfall leading to flooding can be expected in places.

Tuesday’s weather forecast

Gauteng:

Partly cloudy and warm with widespread showers and thundershowers. It will be hot in the north. The expected UVB sunburn index: High

Mpumalanga:

Morning fog patches along the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers but widespread over the highveld and along the southern escarpment.

Limpopo:

Partly cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers but isolated in the Lowveld.

North West Province:

Partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered over the central and eastern parts.

Free State:

Fine and warm to hot, becoming partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered in the east.

Northern Cape:

Cloudy along the coast and adjacent interior in the morning with fog patches, otherwise fine and warm to hot but very hot in the north.

It will become partly cloudy in the east with isolated thundershowers in the north-east from the afternoon.

The wind along the coast will be light to moderate southerly to south-easterly, becoming fresh in the afternoon.

Western Cape:

Partly cloudy along the south coast and adjacent interior, where it will become cloudy from the afternoon with a chance of light rain, otherwise fine and warm.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly, becoming strong in the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index: High.

Eastern Cape (western half):

Morning fog patches in places over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm.

It will become cloudy with isolated showers and rain in the afternoon, except in the north-west.

The wind along the coast will be light to moderate southerly.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

Morning fog patches in places, otherwise cloudy and cool with a chance light rain, but partly cloudy and warm to hot in the north.

Scattered showers and thundershowers are expected from the afternoon but isolated in the north-west. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate south-easterly.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Morning fog patches over the interior, otherwise cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly north of Richards Bay in the morning, otherwise moderate easterly to south-easterly.

The expected UVB sunburn index: Moderate.