Severe thunderstorms to hit parts of Eastern Cape on Saturday

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms, in places over the eastern and central parts of the Eastern Cape and the south-western parts of KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday.

According to the weather service, residents in these areas should watch out for localised flooding of settlements, severe lightning and difficult driving conditions.

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The weather service has also warned of extremely high fire danger conditions over the central and south-eastern parts of the Northern Cape tomorrow.

Saturday’s weather forecast:

Gauteng: Partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers in the south. The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme.

Mpumalanga: Cloudy along the escarpment at first, otherwise fine and warm but hot in the Lowveld, becoming partly cloudy with isolated afternoon thundershowers over the extreme south-western Highveld.

Limpopo: Cloudy along the escarpment and in the Lowveld at first, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot.

North West: Partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers in the west.

Free State: Partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered in the south-east.

Northern Cape: Partly cloudy and hot to very hot, becoming cloudy in places by the afternoon, with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the south where it will be warm. Morning fog is
expected along the coast where it will be fine and cool.

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

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Western Cape: Cloudy along the south coast, where it will be cool with a chance light rain over the eastern parts from the afternoon, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot. Isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers are expected in north-east.

It will become cloudy along the west coast by the evening. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate westerly to south-westerly but southerly along the south coast. The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme.

Western half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy with morning fog in the south, otherwise partly cloudy
and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers but isolated along the coast.

The wind along the coast will be Light to moderate easterly, becoming moderate south westerly west of Gqeberha by afternoon.

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Morning fog is expected south of the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers. The wind along the coast will be Moderate to fresh north easterly.

KwaZulu-Natal: Morning fog over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot, but very hot in the north-east. Scattered showers and thundershowers are expected in the west, otherwise isolated, except in the north-east.

The wind along the coast will be Gentle to moderate easterly to north-easterly, becoming fresh in the north in the afternoon. The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme.