‘Extremely hot and uncomfortable’ weather for Western, Northern Cape

Stay hydrated and avoid spending too much time outdoors, if possible, in the Western Cape as temperatures between 30ºC and 40ºC are expected to persist for two days. 

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has issued a warning for “extremely hot and uncomfortable” conditions across the province and the Namakwa district in the Northern Cape. 

“Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over Khai-Ma municipality in the Northern Cape, Matzikama, Cederberg and Bergriver municipalities in the Western Cape and over the Dawid Kruiper municipality in the Northern Cape,” said Saws. 

Cape Town’s disaster risk management centre urged residents to:

• avoid the outdoors if possible;
• drink plenty of water to stay hydrated;
• keep a close eye on the elderly, people with serious health conditions and young children; and
• ensure pets have access to shade and water. 

Fire risks due to the high temperatures can be mitigated by:

• not leaving fires unattended;
• not throwing bottles in the veld, which can magnify the sun’s rays and start a fire; and
• not throwing cigarette butts out of cars. 

TimesLIVE