A cold snap is expected to affect South Africa from Sunday until Tuesday, as a series of cold fronts move across the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape.
According to the SA Weather Service (SAWS), the first weather system in the series is an intense cold front expected to affect the western and central parts of the country from Sunday, and the eastern parts from Monday.
The SAWS said the system was expected to bring widespread and disruptive snowfall over the southern and western high ground, accompanied by damaging winds over the interior and the coastline, high seas along the coastal areas, and very cold conditions over a significant part of the country.
Cold temperatures were expected over the western parts of the country from Sunday, and bitterly cold temperatures across many parts of South Africa on Monday.
The weather service said maximum temperatures would not exceed 10°C in some areas, while the mercury was unlikely to go beyond 4°C over the high ground.
“Heavy rainfall is also expected over the western parts of the Western Cape, where flooding is likely. The public and small stock farmers are advised to take the necessary precautions ahead of the expected adverse weather conditions, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their animals,” it said.
The SAWS said widespread rainfall could be expected over parts of the Western Cape and Northern Cape from Sunday, with heavy rain leading to possible flooding over the western parts of the Western Cape.
“While widespread amounts of 20-50mm are likely, mountainous regions in the western parts of the Western Cape may see higher amounts of 70-100mm,” it said.
Widespread snowfall was expected to occur over the mountains of the Western Cape and the western and southern high ground of the Northern Cape from Sunday afternoon, but would spread to the Eastern Cape mountains in the evening.
“While light snowfall may extend even as far as Prieska in the Northern Cape and Bloemfontein in the Free State, heavier and more disruptive snowfall of 15-30cm — which may lead to the closure of roads and mountain passes, as well as loss of vulnerable livestock — can be expected over the southern high ground of the Northern Cape and the western high ground of the Western Cape.”
Strong winds of 30-50km/h were expected over large parts of the country on Sunday, with damaging winds possible over parts of the Cape provinces and the central interior, including the Free State and the North West.
Very rough and high seas (with wave heights of 6-9m) were expected along the Western Cape and Northern Cape coast on Sunday, spreading to the coast of the Eastern Cape in the evening.
The SAWS said this could result in damage to coastal infrastructure, disruptions to harbours and ports, and danger to life, as well as pose a risk to medium to large vessels.
The weather service said the cold front would exit the country on Tuesday morning, just as another one approached the Western Cape.
It said Tuesday morning would be the coldest morning of the year so far, with many localities over the country’s interior expected to drop well below freezing, with widespread morning frost anticipated. However, daytime temperatures were expected to recover quickly.
The weather service advised residents of the Western Cape to remain vigilant in the week ahead, as further winter weather systems could be expected to affect the region.
TimesLIVE
Shonisani Tshikalange
www.timeslive.co.za
