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The SA Weather Service says scattered rain and showers were expected in the country’s southern areas over the weekend. (Jaco Marais/Gallo Images/Die Burger)
- A warning for heavy rain has been issued for Gauteng, the North West and Limpopo.
- Severe thunderstorms have also been forecast for Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.
- But parts of the Eastern Cape are in the grips of a heatwave.
Brace yourselves South Africa, because “disruptive rain” and heatwaves are among the warnings the SA Weather Service (SAWS) has issued for multiple provinces.
READ | OPINION: The Climate Change Act’s key role in averting disaster in SA
It issued the following:
- A yellow Level 2 warning is in place for severe thunderstorms in Mpumalanga, the western and northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal, and the south-western parts of Limpopo. The conditions could lead to localised damage to infrastructure, settlements, property, vehicles, and livestock.
- A yellow Level 2 warning is in place for “disruptive rain” over Gauteng, the eastern parts of the North West and the south-western Bushveld of Limpopo. Some areas, particularly in the North West, have already received between 30mm and 55mm of rain. Additional rain could result in flooding, the SAWS warned.
- An advisory for a heatwave, “with persistently high temperatures” that could rise into the high 30s, has been issued for parts of the Eastern Cape. It is expected to affect the northern parts of the Eastern Cape particularly from Wednesday until Saturday. Cradock (Nxuba) is expected to reach 36°C on Thursday and 37°C has been forecast for Aliwal North (Maletswai).
- Isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers are expected to form over the central and eastern areas of the country over the weekend.
- Rainfall has been forecast for Saturday along the south coast of the Western Cape.
News24 previously reported that the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) raised the alarm over climate change, and reported that 2024 was the world’s hottest year yet.
The WMO found that the global mean surface air temperature between January and September was 1.54°C above the pre-industrial average, boosted by a warming El Niño event.
SAWS chief scientist, Dr Andries Kruger, previously told News24 that parts of the country had seen soaring temperatures, including a 47.2°C high recorded in Vioolsdrif on 11 March, and 39.2°C recorded in Hammanskraal and Unisa on 3 and 4 November, respectively.
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