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Areas in Gauteng, Free State, North West, and the Northern Cape are expected to experience severe thunderstorms, bringing damaging winds, hail, heavy downpours, and potential flooding. (Sarayut Thaneerat/Getty Images)
- The South African Weather Services says the North West, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, southern parts of Mpumalanga, and Gauteng could experience disruptive rainfall, leading to flooded roads and slippery conditions.
- Drivers are advised to use headlights, maintain low speeds, ensure clear windscreens, and avoid flooded bridges or roads to prevent accidents and fatalities.
- With showers possible at any time, motorists should avoid driving during critical hours between 18:00 and 01:00 due to increased road fatality risks.
Motorists returning home this weekend are cautioned to be aware of the disruptive rainfall forecast.
The South African Weather Services (SAWS) has issued an alert for heavy rain from Sunday through Wednesday, affecting the central and eastern regions.
Forecaster Samkelisiwe Thwala said 60% scattered rainfall and 80% widespread showers and thundershowers were expected on Sunday.
These regions include the North West, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and southern parts of Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
“The likelihood of a significant increase in rainfall accumulation is suggested, with amounts ranging from 50 to 70mm. To this effect, flooded roads, slippery surfaces, and broad flash flooding are possible,” Thwala said.
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“The use of vehicle headlights, while driving at a reasonably low speed, will be useful during the showery conditions.”
She urged motorists to ensure their windscreens were clear, as traffic and road markings could be difficult to see during the occurrence of heavy rain, even for vehicles with properly working wipers.
“It is inevitable that some low-water bridges could overflow, with powerful water currents that could sweep away vehicles and lead to loss of lives and property. It is strongly advised that motorists do not enter flooded low-water bridges or roads.”
Thwala said summer thundershowers were confined to the afternoon and early evening hours.
However, the continuous flow of warm moist air, known as tropical moisture, to South Africa from countries to the north is expected to cause showers at any time of the day.
Thwala said ordinary or even heavy showers could be expected between 18:00 and 01:00.
“According to the Road Traffic Management Centre [RTMC], these are the critical hours that road users should avoid driving.
“For this festive season, a higher number of road fatalities than previous years has already been reported, and the SAWS, in collaboration with the RTMC, would like to urge motorists, pedestrians and the public to be extra vigilant and careful on the roads during these conditions to prevent the further loss of lives.”
To ensure safety and preparedness, SAWS advised pedestrians and motorists to:
- Avoid crossing flooded roads or swollen streams.
- Move to higher ground if rising water levels are observed.
- Refrain from travelling on bridges or roads in low-lying areas, which are particularly vulnerable to flooding.
Saturday’s weather:
Impact-based warnings
Yellow level 4 warning: Severe thunderstorms with possible damaging winds, hail, heavy downpours, and flooding in susceptible areas are expected over the eastern parts of the Northern Cape and the western parts of the North West and Free State.
Yellow level 2 warning: Severe thunderstorms with localised flooding and difficult driving conditions are expected over the eastern parts of the Northern Cape and the western parts of the North West and Free State.
Yellow level 2 warning: Disruptive rainfall may lead to localised flooding in parts of the North West, Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo.
Fire danger warnings
Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected in the northeastern parts of the Western Cape, and parts of the Northern and Eastern Cape.
Advisories
Heatwave with persistently high temperatures over the northern parts of the Eastern Cape, lasting until Saturday.
Hot and humid weather will create extremely uncomfortable conditions in the eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.
Rainfall may lead to localised flooding in parts of the Eastern Cape between Saturday and Monday.
The weather in your province
Gauteng: Cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers.
– Pretoria: 19°C — 30°C
– Johannesburg: 17°C — 29°C
– Vereeniging: 18°C — 29°C
Mpumalanga: Morning fog in places along the northern escarpment. Partly cloudy and warm, with scattered showers and thundershowers over the Highveld.
– Mbombela: 21°C — 29°C
– Ermelo: 17°C — 27°C
– Emalahleni: 18°C — 27°C
– Standerton: 18°C — 29°C
– Skukuza: 25°C — 35°C
Limpopo: Cloudy in the southwest, partly cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers in the southeast.
– Polokwane: 20°C — 28°C
– Phalaborwa: 24°C — 34°C
– Tzaneen: 21°C — 30°C
– Musina: 23°C — 33°C
– Lephalale: 22°C — 30°C
– Mokopane: 19°C — 32°C
North West: Cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers.
– Klerksdorp: 19°C — 31°C
– Potchefstroom: 19°C — 30°C
– Mahikeng: 19°C — 28°C
– Rustenburg: 21°C — 29°C
– Vryburg: 21°C — 29°C
Free State: Cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers, isolated in the extreme east.
– Bloemfontein: 21°C — 33°C
– Welkom: 21°C — 31°C
– Bethlehem: 19°C — 30°C
Northern Cape: Cool along the coast with morning fog, partly cloudy and warm to hot with widespread showers in the northeast.
– Upington: 23°C — 34°C
– Kimberley: 22°C — 34°C
– De Aar: 23°C — 33°C
– Alexander Bay: 17°C — 24°C
– Springbok: 18°C — 32°C
– Calvinia: 15°C — 34°C
– Sutherland: 11°C — 32°C
Western Cape: Fine in the northwest, partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated showers along the southwest coast.
– Cape Town: 17°C — 24°C
– Vredendal: 15°C — 29°C
– Riversdale: 21°C — 31°C
– George: 20°C — 26°C
– Worcester: 19°C — 33°C
– Beaufort West: 21°C — 40°C
– Oudtshoorn: 18°C — 37°C
Western half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy with fog in places, partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated thundershowers in the northeast.
Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Fog south of the escarpment initially, becoming cloudy and very hot with scattered to widespread showers.
– Gqberha: 20°C — 28°C
– Makhanda: 18°C — 34°C
– Cradock: 19°C — 40°C
– Graaff-Reinet: 19°C — 40°C
– East London: 21°C — 28°C
– Port St Johns: 22°C — 30°C
– Umtata: 20°C — 39°C
– Komani: 19°C — 40°C
– Qonce: 19°C — 33°C
KwaZulu-Natal: Morning fog in the north, becoming partly cloudy with scattered showers in the southwest.
– Durban: 25°C — 35°C
– Richards Bay: 25°C — 40°C
– Pietermaritzburg: 21°C — 40°C
– Ladysmith: 20°C — 36°C
*This weather report was written with the support of Toqan AI.