How cold has winter 2023 been in South Africa so far?

If this winter felt a bit colder than usual, there’s a good chance you were shivering in one of three provinces where temperatures dipped below average in June and July. 

The South African Weather Service (Saws) said on Wednesday it observed lower maximum temperatures for those two months in the western and southern parts of South Africa. Some parts in the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape were 2°C colder than average in winter. 

“So far [without August temperatures], the southern and western parts had a colder 2023 winter than normal,” said Saws. 

Warmer than average temperatures were, however, experienced in other parts of the country. 

“June's maximums were warmer than average over the central, eastern and northeastern parts of South Africa while July was slightly colder to near normal over parts of Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal. Parts of Limpopo were 3-4°C warmer than average during June.”

The southern hemisphere winter is almost at its end. Meteorological spring will be on September 1, it said. 

“Seasonal forecasts indicate a warmer than normal spring and summer for many parts of South Africa.”

Wednesday's travellers weather forecast included a yellow level 4 warning for wind leading to difficulty in navigation at sea between Table Bay and Plettenberg Bay, and a yellow level 2 warning for waves resulting in localised disruption of small harbours and ports for a short period between Alexander Bay and East London.

Extremely high fire danger conditions were expected over the Mafube local municipality in the Free State, Rustenburg local municipality in North West and the interior of the Eastern Cape extending to the southeast coast.

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