Weather update: Severe thunderstorms in large hail and damaging winds

The South African Weather Service (Saws) released its latest weather forecast for Wednesday, 6 December.

The weather service has warned about severe thunderstorms in four provinces, damaging winds in the Northern Cape and extremely high fire danger in three provinces. Here’s what you need to know.

Weather warnings, 5 December

Residents in the western and central parts of KwaZulu-Natal, the eastern half of the Free State and the southern parts of Gauteng and Mpumalanga are warned of severe thunderstorms resulting in strong damaging winds and large hail.

In the central and south-eastern parts of the Northern Cape, there is a warning of damaging winds resulting in difficult driving conditions and blowing of loose debris.

Fire danger

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected in places over the northern parts of Limpopo, the Kamiesberg Municipality of the Northern Cape and the Bergrivier Municipality of the Western Cape.

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Wednesday, 6 December

Gauteng:

Residents of Gauteng can anticipate a partly cloudy and warm day, but hot in the north. Isolated showers can be expected in the afternoon but scattered in the extreme south.

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 a cloudy and cool to warm day with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the extreme north-east.

Limpopo:

The day will be partly cloudy and very hot to extremely hot in the west, but otherwise cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers in places over the east and central parts.

North-West Province:

A day of partly cloudy, windy and hot to very hot weather awaits the residents of the North-West Province with isolated thundershowers, except in the extreme north-west.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State can anticipate morning fog patches in the east where it will be cool, but otherwise partly cloudy, windy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the far west.

Northern Cape:

Residents in the west can anticipate windy conditions over the interior, but otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot and very hot in the east with isolated thundershowers in the extreme east.

Western Cape:

Along the south-coast and interior, Western Cape residents can expect partly cloudy conditions at first becoming fine and warm to hot, but very hot along the west coast.

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 in places, but otherwise cloudy and cool with light rain in the extreme east, and windy with isolated showers and thundershowers in the north and eastern parts from the afternoon.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

A windy and warm day is anticipated in the north-west, but otherwise cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to cloudy and cool but cold weather in the south-western parts. Scattered showers and thundershowers can be expected in the afternoon.