Find out what the latest weather forecast from the SA Weather Service means for your region for 17 December 2025.
The South African Weather Service (Saws) has released its latest weather forecast for Wednesday, 17 December 2025.
The forecaster predicts isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers over most of the country, but widespread in some places.
Weather warnings, Wednesday, 17 December
Impact-based warnings
The weather service has issued an orange level 5 warning for severe thunderstorms, leading to flooding of susceptible roads, settlements and low-lying bridges or areas, excessive lightning, strong damaging winds and large amounts of small hail and/or large hail over KwaZulu-Natal except in the south-east coast.
It has also issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms leading to localised flooding of susceptible roads, settlements and low-lying bridges or areas, excessive lightning, strong damaging winds and large amounts of small hail and/or large hail in places in Gauteng, North West, Free State, eastern parts of the Northern Cape, northern parts of the Eastern Cape, south-eastern coast of KwaZulu-Natal, the Highveld and escarpment of Mpumalanga
Fire danger
Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the Kareeberg local municipality in the Northern Cape.
Provincial weather forecast
Here’s what to expect in your province on Wednesday, 17 December 2025:
Inland provinces
Gauteng
Residents of Gauteng can expect fine conditions at first, otherwise cloudy and warm, with scattered showers and thundershowers. The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is high.
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga residents can expect partly cloudy and warm to hot weather, becoming cloudy in the southern half. Scattered showers and thundershowers are expected, isolated in the east.
Limpopo
Partly cloudy and warm to hot conditions are expected, becoming cloudy in the southwest. Isolated showers and thundershowers are expected, but scattered in the extreme south.
North West
Partly cloudy and warm, becoming cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Free State
Residents of the Free State can expect partly cloudy and cool to warm weather, with scattered showers and thundershowers. It will become cloudy in most parts by the afternoon.
Coastal provinces
Northern Cape
The day will start with morning fog patches along the coast and adjacent interior, where it will be cool, partly cloudy and warm to hot, but fine in the west with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the extreme east.
The wind along the coast will be light and variable in the morning, otherwise fresh to strong southerly to southeasterly.
Western Cape
Partly cloudy and cool to warm, with isolated rain and showers over the south-western parts in the early morning, spreading to the southern parts from mid-morning where it will be cloudy. It will become fine in the north-west from the afternoon.
The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-westerly. The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is very high.
Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.
Eastern Cape (western half)
The day will start with cloudy weather in the south with light showers east of Port Elizabeth, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers in the north. It will be cool in places along the coast.
The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong south-westerly.
Eastern Cape (eastern half)
Cloudy and warm conditions are expected with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread in the north and east.
The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly.
KwaZulu-Natal
Partly cloudy and warm to hot weather, becoming cloudy in the afternoon with widespread showers and thundershowers.
The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh northerly to north-easterly, becoming south-westerly from the south in the afternoon, except in the north.
The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is moderate.
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