Government has urged South Africans to remain alert and exercise caution during the festive season as above-normal rainfall coincides with increased holiday travel across the country.

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa warned, in a statement issued on December 19, that forecasts predict frequent thunderstorms and heavy rainfall over central and eastern regions, including the Highveld, where regular afternoon storms are expected.

Eastern provinces face a 30 to 60 per cent chance of thunderstorms as Christmas and the New Year approach.

While the rain is welcome in many areas, Hlabisa said it significantly heightens the risk of flooding, lightning, strong winds and reduced visibility on roads.

Communities, holidaymakers and travellers have been advised to monitor official weather updates, avoid flooded roads and low-lying bridges, secure homes and loose items, and keep children and vulnerable people away from swollen rivers and open water.

“As families travel and gather during the festive season, safety must remain a priority. Everyone is urged to act responsibly and remain vigilant to prevent avoidable loss of life and damage,” Hlabisa said.

The department, together with provincial and municipal disaster management centres, remains on high alert.

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The weather warning comes as Transport Minister Barbara Creecy reported a decline in road fatalities during a mid-term review of the 2025 festive season road safety campaign in Cape Town on December 19.

Preliminary data for December 1 to 16 show a 20.9 per cent reduction in fatal crashes and a 20.8 per cent decrease in fatalities compared with the same period last year.

Creecy welcomed the improvement but cautioned that serious crashes continue, particularly as peak travel days still lie ahead.

In the Western Cape, 66 people died in 55 crashes during the first half of December.

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Gauteng remains the highest contributor to road deaths, despite a reduction in crashes, followed by KwaZulu-Natal. Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape recorded year-on-year increases in fatalities.

The Free State performed best, achieving a 67.2 per cent drop in road deaths.

Nationally, 113 lives have been saved so far this festive season, with average daily fatalities now at 32, the lowest in five years. Pedestrians continue to account for the largest share of deaths at 44 per cent, highlighting the vulnerability of non-motorised road users.