Cold and cloudy weekend expected in Pretoria

Pretoria is expected to have a cold and cloudy weekend.

SA Weather Service (SAWS) forecaster Lehlohonolo Thobela said cloudy conditions are expected in Gauteng.

“Cloudy, cool to cold conditions with scattered showers and thundershowers are expected. We expected a cloudy and cold day on Sunday with showers throughout the province.”

Meanwhile, cold temperatures, widespread rainfall, and possible flooding are expected over parts of South Africa this weekend into early next week.

“Following recent prolonged heatwaves and below-average rainfall over much of South Africa’s interior, cooler and unsettled weather conditions are expected across many regions over the coming days.”

The SAWS said an intense low-pressure system, known as a cut-off low, is forecasted to bring widespread showers and thundershowers to many parts of the country this weekend into early next week.

It explained that cut-off lows are large weather systems notorious for causing widespread flooding, as evidenced by events such as the well-known KwaZulu-Natal flooding in 2022 and the Laingsburg flooding in 1981.

“These weather systems can also bring damaging winds, severe thunderstorms, and even snow, depending on the season in which they develop. Cut-off lows are most frequent during the Autumn and Spring seasons, with the highest frequency during April.”

According to the SAWS tropical moisture has been transported from neighbouring countries to the central and eastern interior of South Africa since Wednesday.

“This will result in scattered rainfall that will continue on Friday, spreading to the southern parts of the Western Cape and parts of the Eastern Cape tonight into Friday. Cooler temperatures are forecasted for the southern and eastern parts of the country starting Friday.”

The SAWS said that following this, an intense cut-off low is expected to develop along the country’s west coast starting Saturday afternoon.

“It will then move over the Northern Cape on Sunday, reach the interior of the Western Cape on Monday, and exit along the southern coast of the Western Cape on Tuesday (9 April). Widespread showers and thundershowers are expected to develop over much of the country during Saturday and will continue until at least Tuesday, whereafter calm and clear weather conditions will return to many areas.”

Persistent showers and thundershowers may lead to flooding over the central and eastern parts of the country, particularly from Sunday into Monday. At the same time, severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and large amounts of small hail are possible over the western interior from Sunday into Monday.

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