Thunderstorms, heavy rain and lightning could complicate Saturday’s decisive Springbok-All Blacks clash at FNB Stadium.

Severe weather is expected to move across Johannesburg around the same time as the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry showdown gets underway.

However, SA Rugby head of communications Andy Colquhoun confirmed there is no threat of the match being cancelled. He noted that while standard safety protocols are in place to temporarily halt or delay play should lightning be detected nearby, such measures are rarely needed and SA Rugby does not anticipate any disruptions, as the severe weather is only forecast for later in the evening (after 20:00).

Braai early

Weather forecaster and social media personality the Weather Hooligan, aka Juandre Vorster, told The Citizen that he expects Saturday to start cloudy with relatively light winds before conditions deteriorate rapidly from around 15:00 as a storm system develops west of Johannesburg and moves towards the city.

“Start your braai early, because the weather will be decent until about lunchtime. Thereafter, it will become more tricky,” he said.

The match kicks off shortly after 17:00.

“We’re going to have heavy winds and heavy rain from about three or four o’clock,” he said. “Then we’re going to have thunderstorms.”

The Weather Hooligan said rain was highly likely to affect the match, although the intensity of the thunderstorm could be relatively short-lived before giving way to lighter rain.

Concerns

He said the greatest concern during the storm would be lightning rather than wind, particularly if electrical activity develops close to the stadium while players are on the field.

“There’s a lot of lightning showing as well, static charge over that area,” he said.

He suggested sufficiently severe lightning could potentially result in play being temporarily suspended, although any decision to stop the match would rest with match and stadium officials operating under applicable safety protocols at the time.

“The wet conditions, lightning, possibilities of lightning, that’s going to make it an interesting game because they’re going to be wet,” he said.

A change of (game) plan

The rainy conditions are likely to change both teams’ game plans, should the forecast hold.

A slippery ball could make handling more difficult and increase the importance of possession and territory, while players would have to adapt to a soaked playing surface.

The Weather Hooligan said windy conditions may not have a significant impact inside FNB Stadium because of the protection provided by the stadium structure.

“It may become a kicking game as the stadium’s curved design helps channel stronger winds over and around the bowl of the calabash,” he said. “It provides some protection to the playing surface below.”

While he did not expect hail, the Hooligan warned spectators to prepare for rain and to take lightning seriously before and after the match.

“Take raincoats with you. Stay safe. Don’t stand under tall trees. Stay within the stadium’s parameters, under the roof, and don’t go outside if there’s lightning,” he said.

The storm is not expected to hammer Johannesburg throughout the evening.

The Weather Hooligan said typical Highveld thunderstorms could develop rapidly, deliver an intense burst of rain and lightning and then move eastwards, leaving lighter rain behind.

He said the unstable weather was characteristic of heat-driven thunderstorms which could develop rapidly over Johannesburg rather than arriving as a prolonged weather system.

“They build up. They just form above Johannesburg, and then they disappear again.”

No planes in the skies

Airlink announced earlier this week that it had called off the pre-match flyby. Although speculation initially tied the decision to a South African Civil Aviation Authority probe into last weekend’s low-level flight over Cape Town’s DHL Stadium, Airlink confirmed the cancellation was weather-related.

Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.

Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.