More heavy rains are on the way

Residents in parts of the Free State as well as the extreme southern parts of Gauteng should be aware of the possibility of severe thunderstorms on Friday afternoon, the SA Weather Service has warned.

Speaking to The Citizen, forecaster Wayne Venter said the areas that should be on the lookout were the central and eastern parts of Free State, Vereeniging in the south of Johannesburg, as well as eastern North West and the Mpumalanga Highveld.

“There are chances that rainfall is expected to decrease slightly going into the weekend, with a small chance of showers still on the cards mainly during the late afternoons,” said Venter.

Areas that have been experiencing severe thunderstorms in recent days have been in the Free State, with reports of damage caused by large hailstorms.

Despite the freaky conditions, the bit of rainfall experienced in recent days has been welcomed by many considering the drought that has gripped most parts of the country since the previous summer.

The good news, confirmed by Venter, is that the neutral phase that the weather system is currently in also means the country will not experience much further El Nino weather for a while, as this usually brings along with it heatwaves, as was the case during the last summer season.

Venter said the recent rainfall also confirms that the summer rainfall season was finally upon us.

– Caxton News Service