Winter weather woes: Severe warnings issued across SA

The South African Weather Service’s (Saws) forecast for Thursday, 21 July includes critical warnings across various regions.

Yellow level 2 warnings have been issued across multiple areas for disruptive snow, damaging winds and scattered thundershowers.

Saws warns of very cold, wet, and windy conditions across South Africa. From snowfall to choppy oceans and gale-force winds, here’s what you need to know.

Weather alerts for 21 July

Given the potential impact of these weather conditions, residents are advised to prepare accordingly.

This includes staying off the roads where possible during snow and high winds, and protecting vulnerable livestock.

Disruptive snow

The central and northern high-altitude regions of the Eastern Cape, the western parts of the KwaZulu-Natal province, as well as the extreme eastern section of the Free State province should anticipate disruptive snow.

This is expected to make driving treacherous and could pose a risk to vulnerable livestock.

Damaging winds

Damaging winds are also anticipated across the eastern and central parts of the Northern Cape and the western and central parts of North-West.

This could cause localised damage to settlements and potentially disrupt agricultural production.

Provincial weather forecast

Regions in the southern parts of the Free State and Northern Cape provinces, as well as the northern areas of the Eastern Cape and western parts and Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal are advised to brace for very cold, wet, and windy conditions.

Gauteng

In Gauteng, expect partly cloudy and cold weather with scattered showers and thundershowers.

The UVB sunburn index is predicted to be low.

Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga is anticipated to be cloudy, very cold to cold but cool in the Lowveld, accompanied by scattered showers and rain.

Limpopo

In Limpopo, the forecast is for cloudy and cool weather with isolated showers and rain, which will be scattered in the south.

North-West

The North-West Province will experience cloudy, windy, and cold to cool conditions with widespread showers and thundershowers, which will be scattered in the east.

Free State

In the Free State, expect cloudy, windy, and cold weather with widespread showers and thundershowers but scattered in the east.

Light snow is predicted over the east and along the Lesotho border.

Northern Cape

For the Northern Cape, the west will be fine, otherwise expect partly cloudy to cloudy and cold to cool weather with isolated showers and thundershowers, which will be scattered in the east.

It will be windy over the interior during the afternoon. The coastal wind will be moderate to fresh south-easterly.

Western Cape

The Western Cape will have cloudy weather with morning fog in the north-east, otherwise fine and cold to cool.

The coastal wind will be moderate to fresh north-easterly in the south, becoming light north-westerly from the afternoon, otherwise moderate to fresh north-westerly.

The UVB sunburn index is also predicted to be low.

Western half of the Eastern Cape

In the Western half of the Eastern Cape, it will be partly cloudy, windy, and cool but cold in places over the interior.

The northern interior will be cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers spreading to the eastern parts from the afternoon.

Snowfall can be expected over the high mountains.

Eastern half the Eastern Cape

The Eastern half of the Eastern Cape will be cool along the coast. Otherwise, it will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.

The north will be very cold with snow on the mountains.

KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal is set to be cloudy and cold with isolated showers and rain, but it will be very cold in the west and the Midlands.

The UVB sunburn index will be low.

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