Weather advisories are in place from 12:00 to 22:59 for Nelspruit, Ermelo and Barberton, from 08:00 to 17:59 for Beaufort West and Oudtshoorn, and for Queenstown and Matatiele, while a Level 10 warning for veld fire conditions covers Cradock, Graaff-Reinet and Pofadder. Upington reaches 37°C and Pietermaritzburg and Mthatha 36°C, and the only rain chance, 30%, comes with thunderstorms over Gauteng, eMalahleni, Rustenburg, Potchefstroom and Newcastle.
Weather warnings for Friday 16 October
SAWS has 4 weather warnings in force for Friday, 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
Lady Frere, Somerset East, Graaff – Reinet, Cradock + 27 more
Veld Fire Conditions
Lady Frere, Somerset East, Graaff – Reinet, Cradock + 27 more
Areas: Lady Frere, Somerset East, Graaff – Reinet, Cradock, Pofadder, Prince Albert, Calvinia, Beaufort West, Ladismith, Oudtshoorn, Laingsburg, De Aar, Griquastad, Aliwal North, Groblershoop, Prieska, Augrabies Falls, Warrenton, Hopetown, Fauresmith, Kimberley, Victoria West, Daniëlskuil, Upington, Petrusville, Noupoort, Barkly West, Koffiefontein, Twee Rivieren, Jan Kempdorp and 1 more.
- Damage to property/settlements, loss of grazing land and possible loss of animal and/or human life.
What to do: Public is advised not to start any fires under these conditions.
At first sign of smoke, every possible measure should be taken in order to bring the fire under control in the shortest possible time.
Warning Advisory
Weather Advisory
Where
Matatiele, Mount Ayliff, Molteno, Queenstown + 15 more
When
valid until 23:59 on 17 October
Weather Advisory
Matatiele, Mount Ayliff, Molteno, Queenstown + 15 more
valid until 23:59 on 17 October
Areas: Matatiele, Mount Ayliff, Molteno, Queenstown, Grahamstown, Libode, Lady Frere, Tsolo, Elliot, Lusikisiki, Tarkastad, Stutterheim, Cofimvaba, Ntabankulu, Dutywa, Maclear, Bizana, Ngcobo, Cradock.
- High discomfort
- Heat exhaustion
- Dehydration.
- Heat related illnesses
What to do: Drink lots of liquids and stay in shaded/cool areas with lots of ventilation.
Avoid strenuous activities.
Avoid exposure during the hottest time of the day.
Do not keep elderly and children inside the cars.
Seek help if you feel dizzy, weak, having intense thirst and headaches.
Warning Advisory
Weather Advisory
Where
Prince Albert, Beaufort West, Ladismith, Oudtshoorn
Weather Advisory
Prince Albert, Beaufort West, Ladismith, Oudtshoorn
Areas: Prince Albert, Beaufort West, Ladismith, Oudtshoorn.
- When the temperature is extremely high, humans’ ability to cool their bodies through sweating is reduced. This can be a real threat that may lead to hyperthermia.
- In an extremely hot environment, the most serious health and safety concern is heat stroke. Heat stroke can be fatal if medical attention is not available immediately.
What to do: Avoid prolonged direct exposure to the sun as far as possible and drink plenty of water. Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated. Never leave kids in the car unattended. Make sure your animals have access to enough water. Check on vulnerable individuals, including the elderly and young children.
Warning Advisory
Weather Advisory
Where
Standerton, Skukuza, Piet Retief, Barberton + 8 more
Weather Advisory
Standerton, Skukuza, Piet Retief, Barberton + 8 more
Areas: Standerton, Skukuza, Piet Retief, Barberton, Nelspruit, Ermelo, Amersfoort, Witbank, Secunda, Carolina, Middelburg, Machadodorp.
- Persistently high temperatures affect the humans ability to cool their bodies through sweating. This can be a real threat that leads to heat related illness such as hyperthermia, heat stroke and respiratory conditions.
- In an extremely hot environment, the serious health and safety concern is heat stroke.
What to do: – stay hydrated, limit outdoor activities during the hottest time of the day, wear appropriate clothing, and keep an eye on vulnerable Individuals.
SAWS advisory
SAWS advisory
- Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over most parts of the Northern Cape, eastern parts of the Western Cape, in places over the western and central parts of the Eastern Cape, western parts of the Free State, in places over the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal, south-eastern parts of Mpumalanga as well as the northern and western parts of Limpopo.
SAWS advisory
- A heat wave with persistently high temperatures is expected in places over the Chris Hani, O.R Tambo and Alfred Nzo District Municipalities in the Eastern Cape until Saturday, and in places over the northern parts of KwaZulu Natal until Sunday, as well as in places over Mpumalanga, except along the Escarpment until Monday.
- Very hot to extremely hot and uncomfortable conditions are expected in places over the Central and Little Karoo District Municipalities in the Western Cape, as well as the eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
- Extremely uncomfortable and humid conditions are expected in places south of the Escarpment in the Eastern Cape.
Moon tonight
Waxing Crescent
32% lit
The moon tonight is a waxing crescent, about 32% lit, and the next full moon is on Monday 26 October.
Weather today by province, Friday 16 October
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 30°C.
Gauteng
Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto, Vereeniging
Thunderstorms carry a 30% chance of rain, with Pretoria going from 18°C to 31°C, Johannesburg from 14°C to 30°C, and Soweto and Vereeniging reaching 31°C.
Johannesburg today
Thunderstorms30°14°30%N 5 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 | Thunderstorms | 14° | 30° | 30% | N 5 |
| Pretoria | Thunderstorms | 18° | 31° | 30% | NE 5 |
| Soweto | Thunderstorms | 13° | 31° | 30% | N 5 |
| Vereeniging | Thunderstorms | 14° | 31° | 30% | N 5 |
Western Cape
Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Paarl, George · tides
Prince Albert, Beaufort West, Ladismith and Oudtshoorn have a weather advisory from 08:00 to 17:59. Cape Town stays dry at 20°C, Paarl reaches 27°C and George 26°C.
Cape Town today
High cloud20°14°0%N 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 | High cloud | 14° | 20° | 0% | N 10 |
| Stellenbosch | High cloud | 9° | 25° | 0% | WNW 15 |
| Paarl | High cloud | 12° | 27° | 0% | WNW 10 |
| George | High cloud | 12° | 26° | 0% | S 5 |
Tides: Cape Town
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 16 Oct | 11:55 | 06:02, 18:05 |
Mpumalanga and Limpopo next today: Mbombela reaches 32°C and Polokwane reaches 31°C.
Mpumalanga
Mbombela, eMalahleni, Ermelo
A weather advisory runs from 12:00 to 22:59 for Nelspruit, Barberton, Skukuza, Ermelo, Piet Retief and Standerton. Mbombela stays clear at 32°C, Ermelo reaches 31°C and eMalahleni sees a 30% storm chance.
Mbombela today
Clear32°17°0%NE 10 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 | Clear | 17° | 32° | 0% | NE 10 |
| eMalahleni | Thunderstorms | 15° | 30° | 30% | N 5 |
| Ermelo | Partly cloudy | 11° | 31° | 0% | NW 5 |
Limpopo
Polokwane, Tzaneen, Thohoyandou, Musina
Clear skies and dry heat everywhere, with Musina the hottest at 36°C after a 20°C start, Thohoyandou at 34°C, Tzaneen at 32°C and Polokwane at 31°C.
Polokwane today
Clear31°16°0%ENE 10 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 | Clear | 16° | 31° | 0% | ENE 10 |
| Tzaneen | Clear | 14° | 32° | 0% | ENE 10 |
| Thohoyandou | Clear | 17° | 34° | 0% | E 10 |
| Musina | Clear | 20° | 36° | 0% | E 15 |
North West and Free State follow today: Mahikeng reaches 34°C and Bloemfontein reaches 32°C.
North West
Mahikeng, Rustenburg, Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp
Rustenburg and Potchefstroom have a 30% chance of showers and thundershowers with highs of 33°C, while Mahikeng stays dry at 34°C and Klerksdorp is mostly clear at 33°C.
Mahikeng today
Partly cloudy34°15°0%NE 5 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 | Partly cloudy | 15° | 34° | 0% | NE 5 |
| Rustenburg | Rain, storms | 16° | 33° | 30% | NE 5 |
| Potchefstroom | Rain, storms | 13° | 33° | 30% | NNW 5 |
| Klerksdorp | Mostly clear | 13° | 33° | 0% | NNW 5 |
Free State
Bloemfontein, Bethlehem, Kroonstad
A dry day, with Kroonstad the warmest at 34°C, Bloemfontein rising from 11°C to 32°C and Bethlehem climbing from a cool 9°C to 31°C.
Bloemfontein today
Mostly clear32°11°0%WNW 10 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 | Mostly clear | 11° | 32° | 0% | WNW 10 |
| Bethlehem | Partly cloudy | 9° | 31° | 0% | NNE 5 |
| Kroonstad | Mostly clear | 16° | 34° | 0% | NNE 5 |
Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal close the list today: Kimberley reaches 35°C, Gqeberha reaches 27°C and Durban reaches 31°C.
Northern Cape
Kimberley, Upington, Springbok, De Aar · tides
Upington tops out at 37°C and Kimberley at 35°C under mostly clear skies, with Springbok and De Aar on 33°C. Pofadder is under the veld fire warning from 08:00 to 18:59.
Kimberley today
Mostly clear35°17°0%WNW 10 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 | Mostly clear | 17° | 35° | 0% | WNW 10 |
| Upington | Mostly clear | 16° | 37° | 0% | NW 15 |
| Springbok | Clear | 17° | 33° | 0% | NW 10 |
| De Aar | Partly cloudy | 15° | 33° | 0% | NW 15 |
Tides: Port Nolloth (modelled)
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 16 Oct | 11:17 | 05:30, 17:35 |
Eastern Cape
Gqeberha, East London, Mthatha, Queenstown · tides
Mthatha heats up to 36°C and Queenstown to 33°C, with a weather advisory in force all day for Queenstown, Matatiele, Mount Ayliff and Libode. Gqeberha and East London reach 27°C.
Gqeberha today
High cloud27°14°0%SE 10 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 | High cloud | 14° | 27° | 0% | SE 10 |
| East London | High cloud | 17° | 27° | 0% | E 10 |
| Mthatha | Cloudy | 17° | 36° | 0% | SW 5 |
| Queenstown | High cloud | 15° | 33° | 0% | W 15 |
Tides: Gqeberha
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 16 Oct | 12:00 | 06:07, 18:11 |
Tides: East London
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 16 Oct | 12:01 | 06:01, 18:03 |
KwaZulu-Natal
Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, Newcastle · tides
Richards Bay is set for 39°C and Pietermaritzburg for 36°C, with Durban clear at 31°C after a 21°C start. Newcastle reaches 35°C with a 30% chance of thundershowers.
Durban today
Clear31°21°0%ENE 10 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 | Clear | 21° | 31° | 0% | ENE 10 |
| Pietermaritzburg | Mostly clear | 17° | 36° | 0% | E 5 |
| Richards Bay | Clear | 20° | 39° | 0% | NE 10 |
| Newcastle | Rain, storms | 15° | 35° | 30% | NE 5 |
Tides: Durban
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 16 Oct | 11:58 | 05:59, 18:06 |
View 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.
More weather news, warnings and forecasts are on The South African’s weather page.
Thandi Mokoena
www.thesouthafrican.com