Cold front system expected at weekend will not be as severe as the last one‚ weatherman says

13 July 2017 - 16:04 By Kgaugelo Masweneng
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A youth makes his way through the snow in Intabazwe Township near Harrismith, after the Eastern Freestate was gripped by cold weather and snow.
A youth makes his way through the snow in Intabazwe Township near Harrismith, after the Eastern Freestate was gripped by cold weather and snow.
Image: KEVIN SUTHERLAND

Freezing temperatures are expected at the weekend due to a cold front that will pass over the country‚ with possible snowfalls forecast over the mountainous areas of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape on Sunday.

According to the SA Weather Service‚ very cold minimum temperatures - as low as minus 10°C in places - can be expected across the Western Cape and Northern Cape‚ with a general decrease in temperatures expected across the rest of the country.

“Stronger interior winds can be expected over most parts of the country on Sunday and a possible gale force south-westerly wind (approximately 70 km/h) can be expected between Cape St. Francis and East London.

“By Monday‚ the cold front will move to the east of the country‚ with conditions improving significantly across the southern and western parts. Isolated morning showers will be possible along the coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal on this day‚ while very cold mornings with frosty conditions are expected across most of the interior‚” said Ezekiel Sebego‚ chief forecaster at the weather service.

Sebego said the “main snow event” is expected from Saturday in the south-western mountains of the Western Cape.

According to Snow Report‚ snow is also expected to fall around ski resort Tiffindell - in the Eastern Cape‚ as well as the Sani Pass region near Lesotho

The South African Weather Service has meanwhile warned the public against a hoax Whatsapp message circulating a misleading forecast alleging that the storm would be twice as strong as the one that took place in the Western Cape a month ago.

“The South African weather service is aware of a hoax message doing the rounds that this system will be ‘twice as strong as the system of June 2017.’

“This is false and the public is urged to always consult the official sites of the South African Weather Service as the authoritative voice on weather and climate warnings‚” said Sebego.

In June forecasters alerted the public about a storm predicted to be the worst for 30 years‚ which saw residents of the coastal area warned to move to a higher ground for their safety.

- TimesLIVE

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