Heatwave to turn to cold front, light snow and rain this weekend

A cold and wet weekend is expected in large parts of the country and snowfall is forecast in some provinces, with the high temperatures in many areas predicted to drastically drop to chilly conditions from Friday.

Gauteng and the eastern parts of the North West are experiencing a heatwave, with areas in Tshwane such as Hammanskraal and Wonderboom reaching temperatures of 35°C.

South African Weather Service forecaster Dipuo Tawana said: “Friday will be very hot in most places and we are expecting temperatures to reach the mid-30s in most areas in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.” 

The Western Cape and parts of the Northern Cape can expect a drop in temperatures from Friday due to cold air being pulled from far south, leading to a cold front moving towards the east of the country. This will lead to showers and rain along the south coast from Cape Agulhas to Durban.

“We expect rain on Saturday for most of the country. There will be a 30% probability of isolated interior thunderstorms. One or two storms might be severe and could produce damaging winds. The coastal areas are expected to have showers and rain with greater probabilities in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape,” Tawana said.

Snowfall is predicted on Sunday in high-lying areas and the interior of the Eastern Cape and the Drakensberg mountains.

“There is a possibility of sprinkles on the mountain from Saturday but of concern is Sunday.”

There is a 60% chance of rain in Gauteng and other provinces on Sunday, which will increase to an 80% probability on Monday. Temperatures are expected to remain below 16°C.

There is a risk of flooding, especially in Tshwane where municipal protests are affecting refuse removal. 

“Areas such as Tshwane have garbage everywhere and there are chances the drainage systems are going to get clogged” Tawane said.

“Localised flooding is also expected over North West, Gauteng, northern parts of Free State and part of the Northern Cape. A lot of the rain will move more to the central parts of the country on Monday.

“Indications remain strong for Tuesday with high probabilities of scattered showers and thundershowers in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, eastern parts of North West and Free State.”

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