UPDATE: Severe weather warning: Kishugu Lowveld Air Show postponed

10:00: URGENT NOTICE: Kishugu Lowveld Air Show postponed to 16 June due to an extreme and unusual weather system that is forecasted to come through the country.

It is with great disappointment that the Kishugu Lowveld Air Show and Scholars day on 12 May and 13 May has been postponed to the public holiday of Friday, 16 June 2017, with the Scholars Day on the Thursday, 15 June. This is due to extreme and unusual weather forecasts that are predicted for this weekend. The decision has been made during an urgent meeting by the Air Show Committee this morning 11 May, where all the options were explored and considered.

Chairman of the Kishugu Lowveld Air Show, Johan Heine, stated that our main priority, first and foremost, is always the safety of our pilots and participants, followed by the comfort and enjoyment of our guests. “It is a big disappointment for all of us as we were all looking forward to an action packed weekend of aviation. The build-up towards the air show was quite significant and therefore we feel terrible for disappointing the Lowveld community who were looking forward to this weekend. Unfortunately the weather is the one thing we cannot control, but it is also the one thing we are 100% dependent on,” Heine stated. We always have to put safety first.

According to the assistant Air Show Director, Trevor Wilson, the system is a combination of a cold front coming up from the Cape, and that offshore flow sucking moist and cold air out of the upper levels to the north. “There are even forecasts of snow flurries on Saturday for the Highveld. The jet aircraft and skydivers need at least 10,000 ft for their programme to succeed and the other aircraft need at least 5,000ft. The forecasts are showing cloud base of less than 1,000ft with rain showers which is definitely not airshow weather.” However, the weather seems to clear up on Sunday, and therefore should not affect the Sappi Mothers Day Concert.

If you have already purchased your air show tickets, it will still be valid for Friday 16 June and pre-event ticket sales will continue at KLCBT at Crossing Centre or the Aero Club at the Nelspruit Airfield. Online tickets will also be available.

Below is the weather warning as received by SA Weather Service:

Significant drop in temperature this weekend

Whilst much of the country has enjoyed mild, sunny autumn weather of late, this is set to change fairly dramatically over the majority of the country this weekend. Of particular importance for the general public as well as the farming community is a significant drop in daytime temperatures over many provinces, combined with light snowfalls over the Drakensberg Mountains.

Southern Gauteng and the eastern Highveld of Mpumalanga will be distinctly chilly, at about 12 to 16 C, whilst northern Gauteng and Pretoria will only be marginally warmer. Some showers or thundershowers are also a possibility over the Highveld at the weekend. At this stage, the SA Weather Service does not anticipate any snow for the Highveld, although a few light, brief flurries cannot be ruled out for the eastern highland areas of Mpumalanga, in the area of Dullstroom and the Roossenekal Pass. The Highveld on Sunday will be slightly warmer, after a chilly start but it will however remain a cold day.

The good news is that by Monday the 15th we can look forward to a general recovery of daytime temperatures across the entire country, when many regions will experience sunny, mild weather, although the Drakensberg, at higher elevations, will remain clear but cold.

The South African Weather Service will continue to monitor further developments during this period and will issue subsequent updates as required. Furthermore, the general public are urged to regularly follow weather forecasts on television and radio.