South Africa in for a brrr weekend as cold front predicted

05 July 2023 - 14:56
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The weather service has warned of a cold front coming over the weekend. Stock photo.
The weather service has warned of a cold front coming over the weekend. Stock photo.
Image: 123RF/Peter Bernik

Get those extra blankets out — it's going to be a freezing weekend, according to the South African Weather Service (Saws) as it confirmed a cold snap over most parts of the country.

In June, the weather bureau confirmed citizens should not expect “anything extreme” over the winter but brace for “above normal average” weather.

It also said the country was entering an El Niño cycle, which is characterised by warmer temperatures, lower rainfall and drought. 

Saws on Wednesday gave an overview of weather conditions expected in the next few days. Forecaster Lulama Pheme said there was a possibility of isolated showers over the northeastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal and this will spread to the Mpumalanga escarpment.

“For those areas there is a possibility of a 30% chance of light rain. On Thursday, you have the possibility of showers over KZN in the early hours. During the day it [should] clear up,” he said.

Pheme said there was a possibility of morning fog patches in most of South Africa the same day but it would then become cloudy and “ultimately become fine again”.

A cold front would arrive on Friday and this is likely to result in “some showers and thundershowers along the western and southwestern parts [Northern Cape and Western Cape] of the country”.

“Over the western parts [Northern Cape, Western Cape and western half of the Eastern Cape], there is a possibility of isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers and the temperatures over those areas will drop significantly on Saturday.”

Temperatures were expected to drop further on Sunday, not just in the western parts, but in most of the country bar the northeastern part of Limpopo.

Parts of the Eastern Cape and Lesotho border will experience the lowest minimum temperatures, Pheme said, with the temperature dropping to -2°C.

“The remainder [of the country] will [be] between 2°C and -2°C,” he said.

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