Residents across Cape Town and the Western Cape are feeling a sharp drop in temperatures as a powerful cut-off low sweeps across the region, bringing rain, wind and even early-season snow.
The cold system has already delivered heavy rainfall and strong winds, with snowfall reported in mountainous areas near Worcester and Matroosberg.
Cold hits early, catches many off guard
The sudden shift to winter-like conditions comes just weeks after temperatures climbed to around 35°C in parts of the Cape.
Now, conditions have turned sharply.
Weather watchers say April snow is not unusual in South Africa, but this system has brought a noticeable chill.
“It’s fairly standard for April, the first snow of the year… but this one’s been quite a nice one for the Western Cape mountains, and pretty chilly,” said Snow Report SA’s Richard Le Sueur.
For many residents, the cold has been the biggest impact, with icy mornings and damp conditions settling in across the province.
Snow signals a colder winter ahead
Forecasters expect this could be the start of a colder-than-usual winter.
“I think it’s going to be a cold one… we were expecting it to start nice and early this year,” Le Sueur said.
Recent years have already seen colder winters and significant snowfall, and early indicators suggest that trend could continue.
Rain brings relief, but the cold persists
While the cold weather has gripped the province, the rainfall is offering some relief for water supplies.
Parts of Cape Town recorded up to 60mm of rain over the weekend, as dam levels remain under pressure.
The main dam supplying the city, the Theewaterskloof Dam, was last recorded at 44.8%.
Le Sueur said more inflows are likely in the coming days, with further snowfall expected in places like Sutherland, although it may not settle.
For now, the cold conditions are set to continue, with residents urged to prepare for more chilly, wet weather.
Cape Town showers and Gauteng thunderstorms expected to intensify on Tuesday
Cold, wet and unsettled; that’s the outlook for Tuesday.
Cape Town can expect showers later in the day as temperatures dip, while Gauteng braces for ‘drenching’ thunderstorms set to lash Johannesburg and Pretoria into the night.
If you’re planning to be out and about, you’ll want to see how severe conditions could get and when the worst of it will hit.
For more details, scroll up to the embedded audio player to listen to Le Sueur on CapeTalk.
Kabous Le Roux
www.ewn.co.za