The SA Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a yellow level 4 warning and a new orange level 5 warning for disruptive snow on Monday in parts of the Western and Northern Cape.
Disruptive snowfalls are expected over the Cape winelands, Cederberg, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Central and Little Karoo mountain districts of the province as well as the southern high ground of Namakwa District on Monday.
The SAWS said the closure of mountain passes was likely, including the Swartberg, Franschhoek, Hex River, Ouberg and Katbakkies passes.
Snowfall accumulation of between 5-10cm is expected, with possible low-level or ground snowfall, especially over the southern high ground of the Northern Cape and the Cape winelands and Central Karoo municipalities.
The SAWS said there is also a possibility of a 20cm accumulation of snowfall over the Matroosberg mountain range near Ceres.
“Loss of vulnerable livestock and crops can be expected as well as risk of hypothermia in humans due to the very cold conditions,” it said.
The SAWS said traffic disruptions and vehicle accidents were highly likely due to icy roads: “Disruption to services are also possible. Some communities may be temporarily inaccessible.”
Snowfall has also been forecast for parts of KwaZulu-Natal and transport MEC Siboniso Duma said road safety measures had already been bolstered. The department’s Road Traffic Inspectorate has established a satellite centre on top of Van Reenen’s Pass to ensure quick action and road closure to mitigate against people getting trapped in the snow on the N3.
SAWS forecaster Tokelo Chiloane told TimesLIVE on Friday that temperatures were expected to drop significantly on Monday to highs of about 14°C in Ermelo and Pietermaritzburg, 18°C in Johannesburg, 10°C in Elliot in the Eastern Cape and 14°C for East London.
“The cold will come to an end on Tuesday, as temperatures are forecast to gradually rise,” said Chiloane.
TimesLIVE
Shonisani Tshikalange
www.timeslive.co.za
