Johannesburg – The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has predicted a wet Christmas weekend with thunderstorms, putting a damper on planned outdoor activities.
“Thunderstorm activity expected over the eastern parts of the country for the long Christmas weekend. Central and eastern parts of the country can expect thundershowers during this coming Christmas long weekend,” SAWS said on Friday.
“These are eastern parts of Northern Cape, North West, Free State, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo provinces.
“Some of these thundershowers will become severe containing all or some of the following hazards: heavy downpours, strong damaging winds, hail, and excessive lightning.”
SAWS added: “These may result in flooding of roads and settlements, damage to infrastructure, as well as dangerous driving conditions.”
The weather service said all necessary precautionary actions “are hereby advised” to mitigate against these expected hazards.
SAWS said an upper air trough (extension of the low-pressure system) will develop to the west of the country today on Friday, 23 December 2022, moving eastward.
It was expected to intensify from Saturday (24 December 2022).
The weather service said the system will influence weather patterns over most central and eastern parts of the country during the next five days, resulting in isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers.
“For today and tomorrow, isolated thundershowers are expected over the Eastern Cape, southern Free State, and eastern interior of the Northern Cape Province but scattered in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday,” SAWS said.
“Some isolated showers and rain are expected along the south-west coast of the Western Cape on Saturday due to a weak cold front passing by.”
SAWS said on Christmas Day, Sunday 25 December 2022, the upper trough will move over the central interior and across the country, still dominating isolated showers and thundershowers.
It will continue moving on Sunday and Monday over the North West, Gauteng, Free State, eastern parts of the Eastern Cape, and Mpumalanga but scattered over KwaZulu-Natal.
“Isolated showers and rain is still possible on Sunday along the southern parts of the Eastern Cape as well as the south coast of Western Cape but partial clearance from the west is expected on Monday, 26 December 2022,” SAWS predicted.
“It will remain hot and dry over the Northern Cape from Sunday until Tuesday, 27 December 2022, and those conditions are expected to reach the central interior of the country from Monday into Tuesday.
“Still on Tuesday, isolated showers and thundershowers are expected over KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga and parts of Limpopo Province as well as eastern and northern parts of the North West.”
Showers and rain are expected along the east coast of the Eastern Cape, the weather service said.
“The band of isolated showers and thundershowers are expected to come back over the central and eastern areas of the country on both Wednesday, 28 December 2022,” SAWS predicted.
Thunderstorms are expected in the North-West, Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, eastern parts of the Eastern Cape as well as southern Limpopo, and those conditions are also expected to persist on Thursday, 29 December 2022.
Impact-Based Warnings for Friday (23 December 2022) and Saturday (24 December 2022)
1. A yellow Level 1 warning for today (Friday, 23 December 2022): Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, hails and heavy downpours leading to localised flooding of susceptible formal/informal settlements or roads, low-lying areas and bridges, localised damaged to property and livelihood and minor vehicle accidents are expected over the north-eastern parts of the Eastern Cape.
2. A yellow Level 2 warning for tomorrow (Saturday, 24 December 2022): Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, hails and heavy downpours leading to localised flooding of susceptible formal/informal settlements or roads, low-lying areas and bridges, localised damaged to property and livelihood and minor vehicle accidents are expected over south-eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the extreme eastern parts of the Eastern Cape.
SAWS said it will continue to monitor this weather system. Updates to forecasts and severe warnings will be made through the regular channels.
Weather warnings are available at https://www.weathersa.co.za/home/warnings.
