Severe thunderstorms are expected over most of KwaZulu-Natal except the south coast and adjacent interior, with damaging winds from 10:00 in the eastern Free State and western and eastern KwaZulu-Natal, and damaging waves on the KZN coast from 11:00. Limpopo is the hottest, with Musina at 42°C, and a heat wave holds over the Mpumalanga Highveld, the southern Lowveld and the south-western Bushveld of Limpopo. The Eastern Cape is the wettest, with an 80% chance of rain showers, while extremely high fire danger covers parts of the north and east.
Weather warnings for Monday 19 October
SAWS has 4 weather warnings in force for Monday, the highest warning level 10 for veld fire conditions. Tap a warning to see the areas and what to do.
Red level 10
Veld Fire Conditions
Where
Rustenburg, Lichtenburg, Frankfort, Hartebeespoort + 18 more
Veld Fire Conditions
Rustenburg, Lichtenburg, Frankfort, Hartebeespoort + 18 more
Areas: Rustenburg, Lichtenburg, Frankfort, Hartebeespoort, Warrenton, Reitz, Pilanesberg, Kimberley, Sasolburg, Koster, Tosca, Parys, Van Reenen, Zeerust, Ventersdorp, Dealesville, Warden, Klerksdorp, Jan Kempdorp, Potchefstroom, Makapanstad, Bohlokong.
- Conditions are such that the FDI index is above 75. Under these conditions fires may develop and spread rapidly resulting in damage to property and possible loss of human and/or animal life.
What to do: All personnel and equipment should be removed from the field. Fire teams, labour and equipment are to be placed on full stand-by. At first sign of smoke, every possible measure should be taken in order to bring the fire under control in the shortest possible time. All available aircraft are to be called for without delay.
Yellow level 2
Damaging Waves
Where
M8 Cape Vidal, M3 Durban, M4 Tugela Mouth, M5 Mtunzini + 4 more
Damaging Waves
M8 Cape Vidal, M3 Durban, M4 Tugela Mouth, M5 Mtunzini + 4 more
Areas: M8 Cape Vidal, M3 Durban, M4 Tugela Mouth, M5 Mtunzini, M7 Nhlabane, M1 Port Shepstone, M2 Scottburgh, M6 Richards Bay.
- Localised disruption of small harbours and/or ports for a short period of time.
- Difficulty in navigation.
- Small vessels at risk of taking on water and capsizing in a locality.
- Localised disruptions to beachfront activities.
What to do: Small to medium boats are advised to stay away from the open sea and seek the shelter of a harbour. In the harbour, moor the boats properly with ample fenders. Avoid going to beaches.
Yellow level 2
Damaging Winds
Where
Escourt, Ekuvukeni, Ladysmith, Hlabisa + 42 more
Damaging Winds
Escourt, Ekuvukeni, Ladysmith, Hlabisa + 42 more
Areas: Escourt, Ekuvukeni, Ladysmith, Hlabisa, Hluhluwe, Dannhauser, Underberg, Paulpietersburg, Utrecht, Dundee, King Shaka Airport, Kokstad, Impendle, Donnybrook, Abaqulusi, Goodhom, Makatini, Stanger, Mandini, Maphumulo, M8 Cape Vidal, M3 Durban, M4 Tugela Mouth, M5 Mtunzini, M7 Nhlabane, Giants Castle, Mooi River, M1 Port Shepstone, Pomeroy, Melmoth and 16 more.
- Localised disruption of small harbours and/or a port for a short period of time
- Difficulty in navigation (eg. Hampered progress due to strong winds)
- Small vessels at risk of taking on water and capsizing in a locality.
- Localised disruptions to beachfront activities.
- Localised damage to settlements (formal and informal).
- Localised problems for high-sided vehicles on prone routes.
What to do: Small to medium boats are advised to stay away from the open sea and seek the shelter of a harbour. In the harbour, moor the boats properly with ample fenders. Avoid going to beaches. Drive with caution, especially high-sided vehicles and trucks. Secure or bring indoors loose items such as chairs, bins, signs and roof sheets.
Yellow level 2
Damaging Winds
Where
Frankfort, Reitz, Sasolburg, Parys
Damaging Winds
Frankfort, Reitz, Sasolburg, Parys
Areas: Frankfort, Reitz, Sasolburg, Parys.
- Localised damage to informal settlements.
- Risk of runaway fires.
- Localised power and communication interruptions.
- Localised damage to temporary structures (e.g tents).
- Some few transport routes and travel services affected by wind, falling trees or dust storms.
What to do: Take extra caution when driving, particularly high sided vehicles due to cross winds. Remove loose debris from open areas as it may be blown away. At first sign of smoke, every possible measure should be taken in order to bring the fire under control in the shortest possible time. If possible, avoid erecting temporary structures during this period.
SAWS advisory
- Yellow Level 2 Warning: Severe Thunderstorms are expected over the most parts of KwaZulu-Natal, except along the south coast and adjacent interior, resulting in localised damage to infrastructure and settlements, localised flooding of susceptible roads and bridges.
- Yellow Level 2 Warning: Damaging interior winds are expected over eastern parts of Free State, the western and eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal, resulting in localised damage to settlements, difficulty in navigation and localised problems for high-sided vehicles on prone routes until Tuesday morning.
- Yellow Level 2 Warning: Damaging winds and waves are expected along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline resulting in localised disruption of beachfront activities, small harbours and/or ports for a short period of time until Tuesday morning.
- Yellow Level 2 Warning: Disruptive rain is expected over KOUGA Local Municipality of the Eastern Cape leading to localised flooding and damage to property.
SAWS advisory
- Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over northern KwaZulu – Natal, the eastern parts of both Free State and North West, northern parts of Gauteng and the central and south-western parts of Limpopo.
SAWS advisory
- A heat wave with persistently high temperatures is expected in places over the Mpumalanga Highveld, the southern parts of the Mpumalanga Lowveld as well as the south-western Bushveld of Limpopo.
Moon tonight
Waxing Gibbous
60% lit
The moon tonight is a waxing gibbous, about 60% lit, and the next full moon is on Monday 26 October.
Weather today by province, Monday 19 October
View Weather Forecast for TomorrowView the weather tomorrow on the 7-Day Weather Forecast
Each province lists its main towns with today’s sky, low and high, rain chance and wind; every province starts closed, tap one to open it. Tide times are inside Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Today Johannesburg peaks at 29°C.
Gauteng
Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto, Vereeniging
Johannesburg and Soweto climb from 13°C to 29°C with a 30% chance of thundershowers, and Vereeniging reaches 28°C. Pretoria stays dry at 31°C, with extremely high fire danger in the north.
Johannesburg today
Rain, storms29°13°30%WNW 15 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Gauteng
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Gauteng
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | Rain, storms | 13° | 29° | 30% | WNW 15 |
| Pretoria | Partly cloudy | 17° | 31° | 0% | WNW 20 |
| Soweto | Rain, storms | 13° | 29° | 30% | WNW 15 |
| Vereeniging | Rain, storms | 14° | 28° | 30% | WNW 15 |
Western Cape
Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Paarl, George · tides
Cape Town is dry and partly cloudy at 20°C, while Stellenbosch reaches 21°C and Paarl 22°C after a 6°C start. George has slight rain, with a 60% chance and a high of 17°C.
Cape Town today
Partly cloudy20°11°0%WSW 10 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Western Cape
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Western Cape
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | Partly cloudy | 11° | 20° | 0% | WSW 10 |
| Stellenbosch | Partly cloudy | 6° | 21° | 0% | WSW 5 |
| Paarl | Partly cloudy | 6° | 22° | 0% | WSW 5 |
| George | Slight rain | 10° | 17° | 60% | SW 15 |
Tides: Cape Town
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 19 Oct | 03:07, 16:48 | 10:02, 22:43 |
Mpumalanga and Limpopo next today: Mbombela reaches 34°C and Polokwane reaches 33°C.
Mpumalanga
Mbombela, eMalahleni, Ermelo
Heat wave conditions grip the Highveld and the southern Lowveld, where Mbombela peaks at 34°C, while eMalahleni and Ermelo reach 32°C. Each has a 30% chance of showers.
Mbombela today
Rain showers34°15°30%NNE 5 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Mpumalanga
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Mpumalanga
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mbombela | Rain showers | 15° | 34° | 30% | NNE 5 |
| eMalahleni | Rain, storms | 15° | 32° | 30% | NW 20 |
| Ermelo | Rain showers | 12° | 32° | 30% | NW 15 |
Limpopo
Polokwane, Tzaneen, Thohoyandou, Musina
Hot and dry, with Musina climbing from 21°C to 42°C, Thohoyandou at 38°C, Tzaneen at 37°C and Polokwane at 33°C. Heat wave in the south-western Bushveld and extremely high fire danger in the centre and south-west.
Polokwane today
Partly cloudy33°15°0%NW 15 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Limpopo
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Limpopo
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polokwane | Partly cloudy | 15° | 33° | 0% | NW 15 |
| Tzaneen | Partly cloudy | 14° | 37° | 0% | ENE 5 |
| Thohoyandou | Partly cloudy | 15° | 38° | 0% | NE 5 |
| Musina | Partly cloudy | 21° | 42° | 0% | ENE 10 |
North West and Free State follow today: Mahikeng reaches 29°C and Bloemfontein reaches 21°C.
North West
Mahikeng, Rustenburg, Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp
A veld fire warning covers Rustenburg, Lichtenburg and Hartebeespoort from 08:00 to 19:59. Rustenburg is dry at 33°C, while Mahikeng (29°C), Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp (27°C) have a 30% chance of thundershowers.
Mahikeng today
Rain, storms29°19°30%WSW 15 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close North West
Tap for cities and townsTap to close North West
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahikeng | Rain, storms | 19° | 29° | 30% | WSW 15 |
| Rustenburg | Partly cloudy | 18° | 33° | 0% | W 15 |
| Potchefstroom | Rain, storms | 17° | 27° | 30% | NNW 20 |
| Klerksdorp | Rain, storms | 17° | 27° | 30% | WSW 20 |
Free State
Bloemfontein, Bethlehem, Kroonstad
Damaging winds hit Frankfort, Reitz, Sasolburg and Parys from 10:00 to 18:59, and Frankfort and Reitz are also under a veld fire warning. Bloemfontein reaches 21°C and Kroonstad 25°C, with a 30% chance of thundershowers.
Bloemfontein today
Rain, storms21°14°30%W 20 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Free State
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Free State
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloemfontein | Rain, storms | 14° | 21° | 30% | W 20 |
| Bethlehem | Rain, storms | 14° | 23° | 30% | W 20 |
| Kroonstad | Rain, storms | 17° | 25° | 30% | WSW 15 |
Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal close the list today: Kimberley reaches 22°C, Gqeberha reaches 17°C and Durban reaches 26°C.
Northern Cape
Kimberley, Upington, Springbok, De Aar · tides
Kimberley and Upington top out at 22°C and De Aar at 18°C, each with a 30% chance of thundershowers. Springbok stays dry, from 5°C to 19°C, and Warrenton is under a veld fire warning from 08:00 to 19:59.
Kimberley today
Rain, storms22°15°30%WSW 20 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Northern Cape
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Northern Cape
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberley | Rain, storms | 15° | 22° | 30% | WSW 20 |
| Upington | Rain, storms | 9° | 22° | 30% | SW 15 |
| Springbok | Partly cloudy | 5° | 19° | 0% | SSE 5 |
| De Aar | Rain, storms | 13° | 18° | 30% | SW 15 |
Tides: Port Nolloth (modelled)
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 19 Oct | 02:45, 16:10 | 09:18, 21:42 |
Eastern Cape
Gqeberha, East London, Mthatha, Queenstown · tides
A cool, wet day, with an 80% chance of showers across the board. Gqeberha and Mthatha reach 17°C, East London 18°C, and Queenstown only 15°C after an 8°C start.
Gqeberha today
Rain showers17°14°80%WSW 25 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Eastern Cape
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Eastern Cape
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gqeberha | Rain showers | 14° | 17° | 80% | WSW 25 |
| East London | Rain showers | 15° | 18° | 80% | SW 25 |
| Mthatha | Rain showers | 8° | 17° | 80% | SSW 10 |
| Queenstown | Rain showers | 8° | 15° | 80% | SSW 10 |
Tides: Gqeberha
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 19 Oct | 02:36, 17:17 | 10:24, 23:00 |
Tides: East London
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 19 Oct | 02:44, 17:13 | 10:31, 23:09 |
KwaZulu-Natal
Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, Newcastle · tides
Severe storms threaten most areas away from the south coast, with a 60% chance of thundershowers. Damaging winds hit Ladysmith and Dannhauser from 10:00, and damaging waves reach Durban and Port Shepstone from 11:00. Richards Bay reaches 39°C, Durban 26°C.
Durban today
Rain, storms26°21°60%SSW 25 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close KwaZulu-Natal
Tap for cities and townsTap to close KwaZulu-Natal
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durban | Rain, storms | 21° | 26° | 60% | SSW 25 |
| Pietermaritzburg | Rain, storms | 17° | 28° | 60% | SE 10 |
| Richards Bay | Rain, storms | 21° | 39° | 60% | S 15 |
| Newcastle | Rain, storms | 14° | 32° | 60% | WNW 15 |
Tides: Durban
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 19 Oct | 02:21, 17:09 | 10:03, 23:03 |
View Weather Forecast for TomorrowView the weather tomorrow on the 7-Day Weather Forecast
Forecast data: the South African Weather Service and other third-party sources and providers, brought together with the latest AI tools. We take great care to get every figure right, but mistakes are possible.
Thandi Mokoena
www.thesouthafrican.com