Cold temperatures, extensive rain and possible flooding are forecast across South Africa this weekend and early next week.
The South African Weather Service (Saws) said an intense low-pressure system, known as a cut-off low, is expected to deliver widespread rain and thundershowers to many parts of the country this weekend and early next week.
The service said tropical moisture has been transported from neighbouring countries to the central and eastern interior of the country since Wednesday.
According to Saws, this led to scattered rainfall on Thursday which will continue to the southern sections of the Western Cape and parts of the Eastern Cape on Friday.
The weather service said cooler temperatures are forecast for the southern and eastern parts of the country from Friday.
“Following this, an intense cut-off low is expected to develop along the west coast of the country from Saturday afternoon. It will then move over the Northern Cape on Sunday, reach the interior of the Western Cape on Monday, and exit along the southern coast of the Western Cape on Tuesday. Widespread showers and thundershowers are expected to develop over much of the country during Saturday and will continue until at least Tuesday, whereafter calm and clear weather conditions will return to many areas.”
Saws said persistent showers and thundershowers may lead to flooding over the central and eastern parts of the country, particularly from Sunday into Monday, while severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and large amounts of small hail are possible over the western interior from Sunday into Monday.
“There is also an indication of heavy rainfall over parts of the Overberg and southwest coast of the Western Cape on Monday into Tuesday as the cut-off low exits along the southern coast of the Western Cape.”
“The Cape southwest coast may also experience a strong to gale force south-easterly wind which could affect coastal marine routines and operations. Cool to cold temperatures are expected across parts of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal from Saturday, which will spread to the remainder of the country on Sunday into Monday. Day-time temperatures are expected to be in the high teens and low 20s across most parts and will go down to the low teens over the high-lying areas of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.”
However, Saws said there remains uncertainty among Numeric Weather Prediction models regarding the intensity and future movement of the system.
It said the uncertainty could lead to changes in rainfall amounts and distribution.
TimesLIVE
Cooler, unsettled weather expected across the country
Image: 123RF/Vaclav Volrab
Cold temperatures, extensive rain and possible flooding are forecast across South Africa this weekend and early next week.
The South African Weather Service (Saws) said an intense low-pressure system, known as a cut-off low, is expected to deliver widespread rain and thundershowers to many parts of the country this weekend and early next week.
The service said tropical moisture has been transported from neighbouring countries to the central and eastern interior of the country since Wednesday.
According to Saws, this led to scattered rainfall on Thursday which will continue to the southern sections of the Western Cape and parts of the Eastern Cape on Friday.
The weather service said cooler temperatures are forecast for the southern and eastern parts of the country from Friday.
“Following this, an intense cut-off low is expected to develop along the west coast of the country from Saturday afternoon. It will then move over the Northern Cape on Sunday, reach the interior of the Western Cape on Monday, and exit along the southern coast of the Western Cape on Tuesday. Widespread showers and thundershowers are expected to develop over much of the country during Saturday and will continue until at least Tuesday, whereafter calm and clear weather conditions will return to many areas.”
Saws said persistent showers and thundershowers may lead to flooding over the central and eastern parts of the country, particularly from Sunday into Monday, while severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and large amounts of small hail are possible over the western interior from Sunday into Monday.
“There is also an indication of heavy rainfall over parts of the Overberg and southwest coast of the Western Cape on Monday into Tuesday as the cut-off low exits along the southern coast of the Western Cape.”
“The Cape southwest coast may also experience a strong to gale force south-easterly wind which could affect coastal marine routines and operations. Cool to cold temperatures are expected across parts of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal from Saturday, which will spread to the remainder of the country on Sunday into Monday. Day-time temperatures are expected to be in the high teens and low 20s across most parts and will go down to the low teens over the high-lying areas of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.”
However, Saws said there remains uncertainty among Numeric Weather Prediction models regarding the intensity and future movement of the system.
It said the uncertainty could lead to changes in rainfall amounts and distribution.
TimesLIVE
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