A severe weather warning has been issued to residents of the Cape provinces. They have been urged to prepare for challenging weather conditions this weekend as heavy rainfall, icy temperatures, and rough seas are forecasted.
The South African Weather Service warns that a strong cold front is expected to hit the country’s west coast on Friday evening, leading to scattered to widespread showers and rain along the coast of the Northern Cape and western parts of the Western Cape.
As the weekend progresses, a cut-off low is anticipated to rapidly develop over the Western Cape, worsening weather conditions on Saturday.
This system is expected to bring widespread rainfall to the western and southern parts of the Northern Cape, most areas of the Western Cape, and parts of the Eastern Cape.
The impact of this weather may extend to beachfront activities, with rough seas and wave heights reaching 6m to 7m along the south coast of the Western Cape from Saturday afternoon.
Similar conditions will spread to the Eastern Cape coast on Sunday, posing risks of beach erosion and potential hazards to small to medium vessels at sea.
Additionally, significant snowfall is expected across the interior mountain ranges of the Western Cape, western and southern high ground of the Northern Cape, and the Eastern Cape’s high ground from Saturday into Sunday.
The Drakensberg region of KwaZulu-Natal and the extreme southern parts of the Free State may also experience disruptive snowfall on Sunday.
Very cold conditions are forecasted over the interior of the Cape provinces, with maximum temperatures ranging from 5°C to 10°C from Saturday into Sunday.
The chill is expected to spread to the central and eastern parts of the country, mainly on Sunday.
Authorities advise residents to exercise caution during this period, especially in mountainous areas, as closures of mountain passes and temporary inaccessibility of some communities may occur.
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Weather conditions are expected to improve from Sunday evening into Monday.
However, the southern and south-eastern coastline will continue to experience heavy ocean swell on Monday due to another cold front moving along the southern coastal areas.
