Heavy rains, thunderstorms and damaging winds across parts of SA

Several parts of South Africa are expected to experience disruptive rain, severe thunderstorms and damaging winds on Monday, with the South African Weather Service (Saws) issuing several impact-based warnings.

Yellow Level 4: disruptive rain

A Yellow Level 4 warning for disruptive rain has been issued for:

• eastern Namakwa in the Northern Cape; and
• the Central Karoo district in the Western Cape.

The warning indicates that flooding of roads and settlements and major disruption to traffic flow are expected.

Yellow Level 2: thunderstorms

A Yellow Level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms with excessive lightning has been issued for:

• the Nama Khoi and Kamiesberg municipalities in the Northern Cape; and
• the West Coast, Cape Winelands, Overberg districts and City of Cape Town in the Western Cape.

Saws warned that the thunderstorms could result in localised injuries to people and livestock, as well as service disruptions due to power disruptions.

Yellow Level 1: thunderstorms

A Yellow Level 1 warning for severe thunderstorms has been issued for parts of the northeastern coast and adjacent interior of the Eastern Cape. The thunderstorms could result in localised damage to settlements and temporary structures, as well as disruptions to power and communication services.

Yellow Level 2: damaging winds

A Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging winds has also been issued for:

• the North West;
• eastern parts of the Northern Cape;
• central and western parts of the Free State;
• central and western parts of Limpopo; and
• parts of the northern Eastern Cape.

The warning indicates that the winds could damage informal settlements and cause power and communication disruptions.

Saws said a cut-off low-pressure system developing west of the country was expected to affect the Western and Northern Cape from Sunday into Monday

Another Yellow Level 2 warning has been issued for damaging winds and waves between Port Edward and Richards Bay and the adjacent interior.

Saws said the conditions could result in:

• localised disruption to small harbours and ports;
• difficulty in navigation; and
• localised damage to infrastructure and settlements.

Yellow Level 1: damaging winds

A Yellow Level 1 warning for damaging winds is in place over parts of the extreme northeastern Eastern Cape coast and adjacent interior. The winds could cause:

• localised damage to settlements;
• interruptions to power and communication services; and
• difficulty in navigation.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are also expected over the western parts of the Waterberg district and Blouberg municipality in Limpopo.

Saws said a cut-off low-pressure system developing west of the country was expected to affect the Western and Northern Cape from Sunday into Monday.

The system is expected to bring intermittent showers and thundershowers, at times accompanied by heavy downpours, with possible large amounts of small hail and lightning.

A significant drop in temperatures is expected over high-lying areas, while windy conditions are expected along the coast and interior.

Very rough seas, reaching 4m to 4.5m south of Table Bay, are also expected.

Provincial breakdown

In Gauteng, conditions are expected to be partly cloudy and cool to warm, with isolated showers and thundershowers.

Mpumalanga is expected to be cloudy in the east, with morning drizzle and fog patches in places over the eastern Highveld and escarpment. Elsewhere, conditions will be partly cloudy and cool to warm, with isolated showers and thundershowers in the extreme southwestern parts.

Limpopo is expected to be cloudy with morning drizzle along the escarpment. Elsewhere, it will be partly cloudy and cool to warm, with isolated showers and thundershowers in the southwestern Bushveld. Fine conditions are expected in places over the northwestern parts.

The North West is expected to be partly cloudy, windy and cool to warm, with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the east.

The Free State will be partly cloudy, windy and cool to warm, with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the northeast.

The Northern Cape is expected to be cloudy, windy and cool to cold, with scattered showers and thundershowers, becoming widespread in the east and central parts. Along the coast, moderate to fresh northwesterly winds are expected.

The Western Cape is expected to be cloudy and cool to cold, with scattered showers and thundershowers, becoming widespread over the northeastern parts. Moderate to fresh westerly to northwesterly winds are expected along the coast.

In the western half of the Eastern Cape, it will be windy in the north, otherwise cloudy and cool to warm, with scattered showers and thundershowers that will be widespread in the northwest.

Along the coast, moderate to fresh northeasterly winds are expected to become moderate to fresh southwesterly from late morning.

The eastern half of the Eastern Cape is expected to be warm to hot, with morning fog in places south of the escarpment. Elsewhere, conditions will be cloudy, windy and cool, with scattered showers and thundershowers that will be isolated in the northeast.

Fresh to strong northeasterly winds are expected along the coast, reaching gale force along the Wild Coast from the afternoon.

KwaZulu-Natal is expected to experience morning fog patches over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm conditions, with isolated showers in the south.

Moderate to fresh northeasterly winds are expected along the coast.

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