A heatwave is expected to grip parts of the Eastern Cape until Monday, while heavy rain is forecast for Mpumalanga, according to the South African Weather Service (SAWS). The heatwave will bring persistently high temperatures to the region, except for the Joe Gqabi and Amathole districts.
The SAWS has issued a Yellow Level 4 warning for disruptive rain leading to localised flooding of susceptible roads, settlements, and low-lying areas/bridges over the Lowveld and escarpment of Limpopo and the north-eastern parts of Mpumalanga. This warning indicates a moderate risk of impact that requires caution and awareness.
Weather Outlook for Saturday and Sunday
Cloudy and cool conditions are expected in the east, while it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot, with isolated to scattered rain and showers possible over the central and eastern parts of the country. The weather outlook for the weekend is as follows:
- Gauteng: Cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers in the afternoon.
- Mpumalanga: Morning fog over the Highveld and escarpment, otherwise cloudy and cool to warm with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers, widespread in the north-east.
- Limpopo: Morning fog patches along the southern escarpment, otherwise cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers, widespread in the east.
- North West: Partly cloudy and warm, with isolated showers and thundershowers, scattered in the east.
- Free State: Partly cloudy and warm, with isolated showers and thundershowers.
- Northern Cape: Morning fog along the west coast, where it will be warm, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated showers and thundershowers over the eastern and central parts.
- Western Cape: Fine in the extreme western parts, where it will be very hot, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with chances of light rain over the south coast in the afternoon.
- Eastern Cape: Morning fog along the coast, where it will be cloudy, otherwise partly cloudy and hot with isolated thundershowers. Warm with isolated showers and rain over the eastern and central parts.
- KwaZulu-Natal: Morning and evening fog over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm. It will become cloudy in the afternoon with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Understanding the SAWS Warning System
The SAWS uses a colour-coded warning system to indicate the level of risk associated with weather conditions. The system is as follows: yellow indicates a moderate risk, orange indicates a higher risk, and red indicates a very high risk. The numbers used in the warning system indicate the likelihood of weather-based impacts occurring, with levels 2 and 6 being high and level 4 being low.
For more information on the SAWS warning system, visit the Wikipedia page on weather forecasting.
