Coldest year in 35 years
Records were broken and the public agreed that it was definitely much colder than usual. It wasn't their imagination.
The lowest temperature over the past 35 years was recorded on Friday July 23. Thirty-five years ago, the record was -3.2 degrees Celsius, and it dropped further last week to -4.2 degrees Celsius. The Weather Service said there were 19 records broken for the lowest temperature ever recorded in the country.
Belfast and Ermelo’s temperatures were -5.1 degrees Celsius; it was 27 years ago -4.1 degrees Celsius. Johannesburg was the coldest in 61 years with a new record of -7 degrees Celsius. Kimberley recorded the coldest minimum temperature of -9.9 degrees Celsius. Koos and Erica Smit from Badfontein took photographs of their pivots standing frozen on the fields. Other readers also shared icy photos.
The SA Weather Services predicted the succession of cold fronts over the biggest parts of the country. It dropped to below freezing in some areas on Thursday night.
Thursday was officially the coldest night in the country. Parts of South Africa were covered under snow this week after bitterly cold conditions. Weather forecaster Lulama Pheme said that higher temperatures are expected later this week. “The expectation is that the temperature will still be cold as well as cool across the Lowveld. But the rest of the country is still cold. The minimum is expected to be very low,” Pheme said.
- Readers shared their photos
