Cape town: The South African Weather Service (SAWS) says cold, wet, and windy conditions are expected to affect parts of the Western Cape and Northern Cape from Thursday into Friday.
According to South African Government News Agency, 'very cold conditions are possible over the high-lying areas, where maximum temperatures may remain below 10°C in places. Rainfall over parts of the Western Cape may become disruptive and could lead to localised flooding, particularly over the south-eastern parts of the province,' the weather service said in a statement on Monday.
SAWS has attributed these weather conditions to a cut-off low-pressure system that will develop over the western interior, resulting in a significant change in weather conditions across several provinces on Thursday. 'Strong to damaging interior winds are also possible, while gale-force winds may affect the south-western and southern coastal areas. Damaging waves, reaching approximately 4.5 to 5.5 metres in places, may also pose a risk to coastal activities and infrastructure,' the weather service said.
SAWS has issued several weather warnings, including a Yellow level 4 warning for disruptive rainfall leading to flooding of roads and settlements in the Overberg district and the Garden Route districts on Thursday. Additionally, damaging winds are expected over the Namakwa district in the Northern Cape, parts of the Cape Winelands and Central Karoo districts, and the Little Karoo municipality from Thursday afternoon into Friday.
As the cut-off low moves eastwards over the weekend, it is expected to bring a noticeable drop in temperatures, scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers, and windy conditions over parts of the Free State, Gauteng, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as the eastern parts of the North West. These conditions are expected to persist from Friday into Sunday, with the potential for further impacts as the system progresses across the country.
SAWS said there is a signal for severe thunderstorms to develop over parts of the Free State, North West, and Gauteng from Friday afternoon into Saturday evening. 'The risk of severe thunderstorms is then expected to shift further eastwards, affecting parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from Sunday morning, with the possibility of extending into the southern parts of Limpopo,' the weather service said.
Where severe thunderstorms occur, they may be accompanied by heavy downpours, which could result in localised flooding; strong and potentially damaging winds; and excessive lightning and the possibility of hail. There is also a possibility of snowfall over the Drakensberg Mountains of the Eastern Cape on Friday morning, extending into the high-lying areas of Lesotho.
The public and small-stock farmers are advised to take the necessary precautions as the weather system moves across the country. Motorists travelling through high-lying mountain passes are urged to remain alert due to rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, including reduced visibility, cold temperatures, and possible hazardous driving conditions.