Weather update: Severe thunderstorms and heatwave continues in Gauteng and North West this Saturday

The South African Weather Service (Saws) released its latest weather forecast for Saturday, 17 February.

The weather service has warned of severe thunderstorms in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, extreme fire danger in three provinces, and a continuing heatwave in Gauteng and North West. Here’s what you need to know.

Weather warnings, 17 February

The weather service has issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms that are expected to result in heavy downpours resulting in localised flooding, large amounts of small hail, excessive lightning, and damaging winds over the north-western parts of KwaZulu-Natal and along the escarpment of Mpumalanga.

Fire danger

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over parts of the North West, Northern Cape and the Free State provinces.

Advisories

The heatwave experienced over Gauteng is expected to continue until Saturday, but over the eastern parts of the North West province until Sunday, with persistently high temperatures expected.

🌧️⛈️Weather outlook for Tomorrow, 17 February 2024:

Fine over the western interior, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers in the east. Light rain is expected along the south coast where it will be cool. pic.twitter.com/08utTNnmrh

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) February 16, 2024

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Saturday, 17 February

Gauteng:

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

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Mpumalanga:

Mpumalanga residents can expect partly cloudy and warm to hot weather, with isolated showers and thundershowers scattered over the eastern parts. It will be very hot over the lowveld.

Limpopo:

The day will be partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated showers and thundershowers.

North-West province:

A day of fine and warm to hot conditions awaits the residents of the North West province, with it becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State will see fine and warm to hot weather, becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon with isolated showers and thundershowers in the extreme east.

Northern Cape:

There will be fine and cool conditions in the west; otherwise, it will be warm to hot. It will be cloudy along the coast.

Western Cape:

Western Cape residents can expect cloudy to partly cloudy conditions over the south in the morning, with isolated showers over the extreme eastern parts of the south coast, otherwise fine and warm. It will be cool over the Cape Peninsula.

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 fine and cool to warm, but cloudy along the coast, where it will become partly cloudy in the afternoon.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

Residents can look forward to morning fog in places in the east, otherwise fine and warm, becoming cloudy with light rain and drizzle in the east from the afternoon.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to partly cloudy weather in places in the north-west with fog patches over the interior, otherwise cloudy and cool to warm but hot in places in the north-west. Isolated showers and thundershowers are expected, scattered in the north and along the coast.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.