South Africa is bracing for a mixed bag of weather conditions as the South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a Level 2 warning for damaging coastal winds and waves along the Western and Eastern Cape coastlines. Meanwhile, several other provinces can expect rainfall, while Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and the North West will enjoy fine and warm weather.
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect across the country:
Impact-Based Warnings
Coastal Regions:
- Yellow Level 2 Warning: Damaging coastal winds and waves are anticipated between Plettenberg Bay and Port St Johns. This poses a significant risk to small vessels, potentially leading to navigation difficulties and the risk of capsizing.
- Yellow Level 2 Warning: Damaging interior winds are expected in areas between Plettenberg Bay and Gqeberha. These winds could cause damage to temporary structures, disrupt activities in small harbours and ports, and lead to traffic delays.
It's important to note that SAWS employs a colour-coded warning system to communicate the severity of weather-related risks. Yellow indicates a moderate risk, urging caution and awareness, while orange signifies a higher risk, demanding increased attention and preparation. The numerical levels (2 and 6 being high, and 4 being low) indicate the likelihood of weather-based impacts occurring.
Provincial Weather Forecast
Here's a detailed look at the weather forecast for each province on Monday, 22 September 2025:
Gauteng
- General: Fine and warm conditions are expected, with hotter temperatures in the extreme northern parts of the province.
- UVB Sunburn Index: Very High
- Specific Locations:
- Pretoria: 15°C – 30°C
- Johannesburg: 12°C – 28°C
- Vereeniging: 12°C – 27°C
Mpumalanga
- General: Partly cloudy in the southern regions, otherwise fine and warm throughout the province.
- Specific Locations:
- Mbombela: 15°C – 31°C
- Ermelo: 13°C – 28°C
- Emalahleni: 14°C – 28°C
- Standerton: 14°C – 27°C
- Skukuza: 19°C – 35°C
Limpopo
- General: Fine and warm weather is anticipated, with hotter conditions in the northern areas.
- Specific Locations:
- Polokwane: 15°C – 30°C
- Phalaborwa: 19°C – 35°C
- Tzaneen: 15°C – 31°C
- Musina: 19°C – 34°C
- Lephalale: 19°C – 32°C
- Mokopane: 15°C – 30°C
North West
- General: Fine and warm to hot conditions are expected across the province.
- Specific Locations:
- Klerksdorp: 16°C – 30°C
- Potchefstroom: 15°C – 30°C
- Mahikeng: 17°C – 30°C
- Rustenburg: 17°C – 31°C
- Vryburg: 13°C – 31°C
Free State
- General: Partly cloudy with wind, cool to warm temperatures, and isolated showers or thundershowers are possible in the southern region.
- Specific Locations:
- Bloemfontein: 14°C – 23°C
- Welkom: 15°C – 27°C
- Bethlehem: 10°C – 25°C
Northern Cape
- General: Fine weather in the western parts, partly cloudy elsewhere. Cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers in the east. Coastal winds will be moderate southerly to south-easterly, becoming moderate to fresh southerly to south-westerly in the afternoon.
- Specific Locations:
- Upington: 13°C – 24°C
- Kimberley: 16°C – 25°C
- De Aar: 11°C – 20°C
- Alexander Bay: 10°C – 22°C
- Springbok: 9°C – 20°C
- Calvinia: 7°C – 19°C
- Sutherland: 1°C – 16°C
Western Cape
- General: Partly cloudy and cool, with isolated to scattered showers in the morning over the western and southern zones, clearing towards the evening. Moderate to fresh south-westerly to westerly winds, with strong winds along the south coast early in the morning. It turns moderate south-easterly along the west coast in the evening.
- UVB Sunburn Index: Very High
- Specific Locations:
- Cape Town: 12°C – 20°C
- Vredendal: 10°C – 22°C
- Riversdale: 11°C – 20°C
- George: 12°C – 19°C
- Worcester: 10°C – 20°C
- Beaufort West: 11°C – 19°C
- Oudtshoorn: 9°C – 22°C
Eastern Cape
- Western Half: Partly cloudy, windy, and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers in southern and eastern regions, clearing by late afternoon. Moderate to fresh north-easterly early morning east of Algoa Bay. Otherwise, expect fresh to strong south-westerly winds, reaching gale force until evening.
- Eastern Half: Partly cloudy, windy, and cool, becoming warm south of the escarpment. Isolated showers and thundershowers will occur. Morning winds will be moderate to fresh north-easterly in places. Fresh to strong south-westerly winds will pick up, reaching gale force in southern areas in the afternoon.
- Specific Locations:
- Gqeberha: 15°C – 20°C
- Makhanda: 10°C – 19°C
- Cradock: 11°C – 20°C
- Graaff-Reinet: 9°C – 20°C
- East London: 16°C – 24°C
- Port St Johns: 18°C – 26°C
- Mthatha: 13°C – 27°C
- Komani: 12°C – 21°C
- Qonce: 13°C – 22°C
KwaZulu-Natal
- General: Morning fog over the interior, followed by partly cloudy weather. Warm to hot conditions with isolated showers and thundershowers. Coastal winds will start moderate to fresh north-easterly but will shift to fresh to strong south-westerly to southerly, spreading northwards from late morning into the afternoon.
- UVB Sunburn Index: Low
- Specific Locations:
- Durban: 18°C – 31°C
- Richard’s Bay: 21°C – 35°C
- Pietermaritzburg: 16°C – 31°C
- Ladysmith: 16°C – 32°C
Fire Danger Conditions
SAWS has also warned of extremely high fire danger conditions in places over the Highveld of Mpumalanga, the extreme eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as the southern parts of both Gauteng and Limpopo. Residents and visitors in these areas are urged to exercise extreme caution and avoid activities that could spark a fire.
Looking Ahead
The forecast for the remainder of the week indicates:
- Tuesday: Partly cloudy and warm to cool, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers over the central and eastern parts of the country.
- Wednesday: Partly cloudy and warm to cool, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers over the central and eastern parts of the country, but widespread over KwaZulu-Natal.
Stay tuned to SAWS for further updates and be sure to take necessary precautions based on the weather conditions in your area.
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