Weather alert: Severe thunderstorms in parts of Gauteng, Northern Cape, North West and Free State

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has released its latest weather forecast for Thursday, 3 April 2025.

Severe thunderstorms are expected in parts of Gauteng, Northern Cape, North West and the Free State, while disruptive rainfall is forecast for parts of Mpumalanga. Fire danger conditions are also expected in the Northern Cape. Here’s what you need to know.

Weather warnings, Thursday, 3 April

Impact-based warnings

The weather service has issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms resulting in localised damage to infrastructure, settlements (informal), property, vehicles, livelihoods and livestock over Gauteng, the central and eastern parts of the Northern Cape as well as most parts of the North West and Free State.

Saws has also issued a yellow level 2 warning for disruptive rainfall resulting in localised flooding of low-lying bridges and settlements along the escarpment and eastern Highveld of Mpumalanga.

Fire danger warnings

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected along the coast and adjacent interior of the Northern Cape.

Advisories

Hot to very hot and uncomfortable conditions are expected over the interior of Namakwa, City of Cape Town, West Coast, and Cape Winelands Districts until Sunday.

ALSO READ: SA Weather Service warns of below average rainfall raising concerns of water availability

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Thursday, 3 April:

Gauteng:

Residents of Gauteng can expect cloudy and cool conditions with scattered showers and thundershowers.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Mpumalanga:

Mpumalanga residents will wake up to cloudy and cool weather with scattered showers and thundershowers.

Limpopo:

The day will be cloudy and cool with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers. It will be warm in the Limpopo Valley and Bushveld.

North West:

Cloudy and cool to warm weather awaits North West residents, with widespread showers and thundershowers but scattered in the east.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State will experience partly cloudy and cool to warm weather conditions, with scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers.

Northern Cape:

The day will start off partly cloudy and warm, becoming cloudy towards the afternoon with scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the extreme west.

Western Cape:

Western Cape residents can expect fine and warm to hot weather, but very hot in places in the interior of the West Coast district, where it will become cloudy in the afternoon with isolated showers and thundershowers, spreading to the Central Karoo from late afternoon.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Eastern Cape (western half):

It will be cloudy in places at first, otherwise fine and cool to warm becoming partly cloudy with isolated thundershowers in the north by evening.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

The day will be cloudy in places at first, otherwise fine and cool to warm becoming partly cloudy with isolated thundershowers in the north by evening.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can expect morning fog in places over the interior, otherwise it will be cloudy and cool with scattered showers and rain, but isolated in the north-east.