Johannesburg – South Africans are in for a week of dramatic weather as winter unleashes its full force across the country. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a detailed forecast spanning Tuesday, August 5th, to Thursday, August 7th, predicting a clash of cold fronts, thunderstorms, and even snowfall in several regions.
The central and eastern parts of the country will bear the brunt of the volatile conditions, while the Western Cape enjoys relatively sunny skies. Residents are urged to prepare for slippery roads, potential travel delays, and the need for extra winter clothing.
Snowfall and Cold Conditions
Snowfall is anticipated across parts of the Eastern Cape and southern Lesotho, with a 60% chance of snow around Matatiele and surrounding mountainous regions. Very cold conditions are forecast over the Free State, Eastern Cape highlands, and southern Drakensberg areas.
Light snowfall is also possible in the high-lying areas of the Northern Cape, around Sutherland, Calvinia, Loxton, De Aar, and Noupoort. There is a higher probability of snowfall in the region of Postmasburg and Kuruman from Tuesday into Wednesday.
The higher ground in Lesotho is indicated for snowfall on Wednesday and early Thursday, including Sani Pass and Afriski. Hikers and campers in the Drakensberg should monitor forecast updates, as moderate snowfall is expected in the region of the Sentinel hike to Tugela Falls. Over 10cm of snow is possible in the high-lying areas.
Thunderstorms and Rain
Thunderstorms are likely across central South Africa on Thursday, particularly around Johannesburg, Klerksdorp, and Welkom, where a 60% chance of rain is expected. Rain will continue across KwaZulu-Natal with a 30% probability along the coast, including Durban, Port Shepstone, and Mthatha.
Wet, cold, and windy conditions are forecast for most parts of the country, with hail and severe thunderstorms in the Northern Cape and Free State, according to SAWS.
Impact-Based Warnings and Advisories
SAWS has issued the following warnings:
- Yellow Level 1 warning: Damaging waves leading to localised disruption to beachfront activities are expected between Alexander Bay and Plettenberg Bay.
- Yellow Level 1 warning: Severe thunderstorms with large amounts of small hail resulting in localised damage to infrastructure, formal and informal settlements, vehicles, and livestock as well as localised loss of agricultural production are expected over the Free State and eastern parts of the Northern Cape.
Very cold conditions with light snowfall are expected in places over the northern high-lying areas of the Eastern Cape.
Regional Forecasts
Here's a breakdown of the weather conditions expected in each province:
- Gauteng: Partly cloudy and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers in the south. Pretoria: 7°C — 23°C, Johannesburg: 6°C — 22°C, Vereeniging: 3°C — 20°C. A slight chance of light snowfall, sleet or rain and snow in the west, east and south of Gauteng from late on Wednesday evening and early on Thursday, with slightly more indicated for the west in the region of Magaliesburg.
- Mpumalanga: Partly cloudy and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the north. It will be warm in the Lowveld. Mbombela: 8°C — 25°C, Ermelo: 5°C — 20°C, Emalahleni: 8°C — 21°C, Standerton: 0°C — 20°C, Skukuza: 4°C — 26°C.
- Limpopo: Fine and cool to warm, becoming partly cloudy in the south by evening. Polokwane: 6°C — 24°C, Phalaborwa: 9°C — 28°C, Tzaneen: 7°C — 27°C, Musina: 9°C — 31°C, Lephalale: 7°C — 26°C, Mokopane: 6°C — 25°C. Some snowfall is indicated on the high ground in the Marakele National Park, as well as in the region of Rooiberg in Limpopo on Thursday.
- North West: Partly cloudy and cold to cool with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the north-east. It will be cloudy in the south-west. Klerksdorp: 5°C — 15°C, Potchefstroom: 4°C — 17°C, Mahikeng: 5°C — 15°C, Rustenburg: 5°C — 20°C, Vryburg: 4°C — 12°C. North West is again on the radar for some light snowfall on Wednesday, and with a slightly higher probability now in the high-lying areas around Schweizer-Reneke, Lichtenburg, Zeerust and a few spots marked on the map.
- Free State: Cloudy and cold with scattered showers and thundershowers. Bloemfontein: 6°C — 12°C, Welkom: 7°C — 14°C, Bethlehem: 3°C — 18°C. There is a chance of light snowfall in the Free State on Wednesday in the high-lying regions around Bloemfontein, Reddersburg, Trompsburg, Springfontein, Thaba Phatswa, Tweespruit, Dewetsdorp, Fauresmith, Rouxville, Smithfield, Brandfort, Welkom, Henneman, Theunissen, Kroonstad, Vredefort and a few other areas marked on the map.
- Northern Cape: Partly cloudy, windy, and cold, but cloudy in the east with isolated showers and thundershowers. Coastal winds: Light to moderate south-easterly. Upington: 4°C — 14°C, Kimberley: 6°C — 12°C, De Aar: 6°C — 12°C, Alexander Bay: 9°C — 18°C, Springbok: 3°C — 11°C, Calvinia: 2°C — 12°C, Sutherland: -2°C — 09°C.
- Western Cape: Cloudy in the south-west, otherwise partly cloudy and cold. Coastal winds: Moderate to fresh westerly to south-westerly. Cape Town: 11°C — 15°C, Vredendal: 7°C — 17°C, Riversdale: 9°C — 17°C, George: 9°C — 15°C, Worcester: 4°C — 16°C, Beaufort West: 5°C — 13°C, Oudtshoorn: 5°C — 16°C. A number of the Western Cape peaks have or may have already received a dusting of snowfall, including around Somerset West, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Wellington, Franschhoek, Tulbagh, Worcester, Robertson, and Ceres from late on Monday and through Tuesday.
- Eastern Cape: Cloudy and cold with scattered showers and rain, but isolated in the west. Coastal winds: moderate to fresh south-westerly. Gqeberha: 9°C — 15°C, Makhanda: 6°C — 13°C, Cradock: 3°C — 10°C, Graaff-Reinet: 2°C — 10°C, East London: 13°C — 16°C, Port St Johns: 12°C — 16°C, Mthatha: 7°C — 12°C, Komani: 4°C — 10°C, Qonce: 10°C — 14°C. Light snowfall is also indicated for the high-ground in parts of the Eastern Cape from late Tuesday night and through Wednesday, including around Seymour, Graaff-Reinet, Nieu-Bethesda, Middelburg, Cradock, Middelburg, Sterkstroom, Molteno, Dordrecht, Barkly East, Lady Grey and Rhodes on Tuesday and into Wednesday.
- KwaZulu-Natal: Cloudy and cold to cool with isolated showers and thundershowers. It will be very cold with scattered showers and thundershowers in the south-west. Coastal winds: moderate northerly to north-westerly in the north, turning to moderate to fresh south-westerly elsewhere. Durban: 17°C — 20°C, Richard’s Bay: 17°C — 22°C, Pietermaritzburg: 9°C — 16°C, Ladysmith: 8°C — 20°C. Snowfall is indicated in the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal and is now looking like it may come down a bit lower again.
With such varied and potentially disruptive weather conditions on the horizon, South Africans are advised to stay informed, take necessary precautions, and ensure they are well-prepared for the week ahead.
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