Very hot and uncomfortable – that’s the warning from the weather service for the Western Cape and the Northern Cape on Wednesday.
It comes as several wildfires have recently ravaged parts of the Cape Winelands, the Overstrand and the Garden Route.
According to the weather service’s daily forecast report, the hottest high in the Western Cape on Wednesday is Prince Albert at 37, while the coolest high is in Hermanus at 23.
Wednesday’s weather forecast advises of very hot conditions over the interior of the Namakwa, West Coast and Central Karoo districts, including the Breede Valley and Oudtshoorn municipalities.
These conditions may persist over the West Coast until Friday.
The weather service also warns the high temperatures can have significant health impacts, such as hyperthermia, when a person’s ability to cool down through sweating is compromised.
The most serious threat is heatstroke, that can be fatal if medical attention is not immediately available.
The hot weather also raises the risk of wildfires, with the latest area of concernthe Kogmanskloof fire above Ashton and Montagu in the Cape Winelands.
There, the fireline above Sarah’s Farm on the Ashton side remains active, while the blaze has been successfully contained above Montagu Hospital.
At the Guano Caves, the fire continues to creep slowly through inaccessible rocky ridges, but the fire is patchy and is expected to burn itself out due to a lack of fuel.
There’ve also been wildfires in Gansbaai recently and along the Garden Route, where lightning strikes caused a mountain fire Monday.
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Lauren Isaacs
www.ewn.co.za
