South Africans have been warned to brace for icy cold weather this week, with snow again expected in some areas.
Following close on the heels of the extreme winter weather system which brought widespread snow and bitter cold a week ago, yet another cut-off low is expected to introduce a dramatic drop in temperature, the South Africa Weather Service (Saws) said.
“A cut-off low is expected to develop over the southern interior of South Africa. This system will result in a sudden and widespread lowering of maximum temperatures, especially over the Cape provinces, as early as Wednesday.”
Apart from the impact of widespread, bitterly cold and showery conditions setting in over the Cape provinces, the Saws expects snowfall over the higher mountains of the Cape provinces Wednesday, spreading to include the Drakensberg Mountain peaks of Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.
As the cut-off low develops further and intensifies during the week, cold weather, accompanied by overcast, rainy conditions, can be expected to set in over parts of the Northern Cape, North-West, Gauteng, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Mpumalanga.
“This weather will persist during Friday, when heavier falls can be expected over the western and central parts of the above-mentioned provinces.
“Persistent rainfall is therefore likely to lead to localised flooding and minor disruptions of road traffic.
“There is also the possibility of a few thunderstorms developing, some of which may become severe. Large amounts of small hail as well as strong, gusty surface winds may also contribute to icy roads and hazardous driving conditions. Motorists encountering such conditions are advised to reduce speed and to observe safe following distances in traffic,” the Saws said.
By Saturday, much of the rainfall will be in the process of shifting to the eastern and north-eastern provinces. The majority of the inclement weather is expected to clear by Sunday.
Cape Times