Phew! Heatwave to ease in Gauteng

Gauteng residents caught up in the stifling weekend heatwave can breathe a sigh of relief as temperatures are expected to ease later on Monday.

South African Weather Service forecaster‚ Wayne Venter‚ said: “We have had the heatwave since Saturday and it will … end today. Temperatures will be dropping slightly. It is still going to be warm tomorrow (but) temperatures will fall out of the heatwave threshold temperatures.”

Johannesburg was forecast to hit a high of 33°C on Monday. That will ease on Tuesday to 29°C.

Venter said a heatwave is declared when on at least three consecutive days‚ the maximum temperature is more or equal to five degrees higher than the average maximum. He added that every region had a different average maximum temperature.

Venter explained that even though this was the second heatwave to hit the northern parts of the country‚ it was normal.

The weather service issued a watch for the North West and the Free State on Tuesday as severe thunderstorms were expected. The northern parts of the Eastern Cape might experience heavy rain and hail.

Monday’s maximum temperatures will be: Pretoria‚ 35°C; Hammanskraal‚ 37°C; Kimberley‚ 39°C; Mahikeng‚ 37°C and Bloemfontein 37°C

Durban was expecting 30°C and Richard’s Bay 35°C. Further down the coast‚ Port Elizabeth was forecast to reach 24°C‚ East London 24°C and Cape Town 23°C.