Brace yourself, Krugersdorp – extreme weather conditions heading your way
The South African Weather Service has warned against extreme weather conditions throughout the country.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a warning to citizens, stating that the next few days are going to be very cold and they should prepare themselves to keep warm.
Ezekiel Sebego, a member of the SAWS, said South Africans can expect a cold snap to affect most of the country during the latter part of this week – from Wednesday, 16 August onwards.
“Particularly cold day-time temperatures are expected to dominate the south-western parts on Wednesday, 16 August, spreading to include the central and eastern parts on Thursday, 17 August. Some places in the high-lying central and eastern interior are likely to experience day-time temperatures in the order of only 5 to 10 degrees Celsius for up to three consecutive days,” he said.
Also Read: Extreme weather conditions expected
Krugersdorpers have already started to experience this cold front as the wind has picked up.
SAWS has also warned against snowfall over the southern and central Drakensberg, so if you’re preparing to travel, make sure you pack in some warm clothes and blankets.
“Snowfall could be heavy over the north-eastern parts of the Eastern Cape, possibly leading to the closure of the majority of mountain passes in the region as well as an associated disruption of traffic.”
Rain and showers are also expected over the south-western parts of the country. By Thursday, rainfall is expected to move eastwards, with the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal particularly well-favoured to receive widespread rainfall. These provinces may even experience heavy rainfall as well as localised flooding, especially along the coast and adjacent interior regions.
Along much of the southern coastline, periods of strong, gusty winds combined with moderate seas are expected. There is, however, a strong likelihood that gale force winds of a damaging nature as well as rough to very rough sea conditions may develop along the Wild Coast and KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.
These extreme weather conditions are due to the development of an intense trough (an extension of a low pressure) in the upper portions of the atmosphere, which is expected to move over the country on Wednesday. Thereafter, the trough is likely to intensify further, becoming a so-called cut-off low pressure system on Thursday, 17 August 2017. By Friday, this weather system is expected to exit the country, when rainfall will be restricted to the eastern extremities of the country, heralding a return to dry, settled weather this weekend.
What is a cut-off low?
It’s a low pressure system, located in the upper portions of the atmosphere, which has separated from the band of westerly winds in the upper air and dominates the mid-latitudes of the northern and southern hemispheres respectively. During its relatively short life-span (typically only a few days) a cut-off low generally drifts towards the equator and develops winds which blow clockwise around its core (or vortex). Cut-off lows are a fairly common occurrence in South Africa’s weather, especially during winter. A cut-off low is characterised by a cold core and is also referred to as an extra-tropical, mid-latitude cyclone. In contrast, tropical cyclones are an entirely different phenomenon, being characterised by a warm core and being restricted to tropical regions.
The SAWS will continue to monitor further developments during this period and will issue further updates as required. Furthermore, the general public are urged to regularly follow weather forecasts on television and radio.
Updated information may also be accessed on www.weathersa.co.za as well as via the South African Weather Service Twitter account, @SAWeatherService.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at krugersdorpnews@caxton.co.za or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister websites:
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
