Tag: Weather

The South African Weather Services said the first one made landfall in the country on Thursday moving over the Western Cape and bringing with it widespread showers and rains.

It said another cold snap was moving from the western parts of the country on Friday, spreading to the Eastern Cape.

Isolated showers and thundershowers have been forecast for the coastal parts of the country.

Forecaster Kumsa Masizana said the Western Cape could expect cold temperatures on Friday.

“Lows of between 13 degrees and 17 degrees are expected in the Western Cape, the western half of the Eastern Cape as well as along the Lesotho border of Free State province. We are also seeing some cold temperatures in places of the Northern Cape,” she said.

Mop up operations are under way on Friday morning after heavy rains pummelled parts of the Western Cape.

Disaster Risk Management officials have completed assessments in Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Philippi East, Delft, Macassar Village and Strand among other areas.

Officials have urged residents living in a natural watercourse to move to higher ground.

Weather related power outages have been reported in several communities, including Kensington, Somerset West, Newlands and Masiphumelele.

A number of roads across the city have been waterlogged due to blocked drains.

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula has called on all road users to exercise extreme caution on the roads as persistent rains continue to lash parts of the country.

Mbalula has urged motorists to drive with care, refrain from excessive speeding, keep a safe following distance and avoid low-lying areas which are prone to flooding.

“We know that during rainy conditions, the roads become slippery, there are flash floods in low-lying areas, infrastructure erodes and visibility is compromised. For this reason, we call on all road users to be mindful of these factors and adjust their behaviour accordingly,” said Mbalula.

The SA Weather Service has issued a yellow level 4 warning for disruptive rain over Gauteng, the western bushveld area of Limpopo, western Mpumalanga, central and eastern parts of North West and northeastern Free State for Tuesday.

The service cautioned people to avoid low-lying bridges and roads covered with water and to keep a safe following distance at all times.

Mbalula advised pedestrians to wear clothing that can be easily seen in areas with poor visibility.

He called on walkers and cyclists to avoid crossing roads submerged under large bodies of water or covered by rapidly moving streams and rivers.

“Several provinces across the country have been experiencing strong winds and heavy downpours in recent days in the wake of tropical storm Eloise. Minister Mbalula has encouraged motorists to be safety conscious at all times,” said department spokesperson Ayanda Paine.

“Forecasters expect the wet weather to continue for several days.”