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By Stephen Tau

Journalist


Weather: Brace yourselves for another wet week

More wet weather on the way.


The wet weather conditions that enveloped different parts of the country in recent days, are expected to continue into the new week.

The relentless heavy downpours experienced over the last couple of days were a result of a cut-of-low pressure system which made landfall last week Wednesday.

The weather system in question, become quasi-stationary between Thursday and Saturday hence the torrential rain experienced in consecutive days.

Flooding

The heavy rains also caused flooding in various parts of Gauteng including in the Patsing informal settlement, south of the province.

ALSO READ: Flood warning: Patsing residents live in fear amid heavy rainfall

Speaking to The Citizen on Sunday afternoon, forecaster at the South African Weather Service (SAWS), Ishmael Moyo said a yellow level 2 warning for disruptive rainfall has been issued for parts of KwaZulu Natal (KZN) and Mpumalanga on Monday and as well as an orange level 9 warning for Limpopo.

More heavy downpours

The rainfall expected in this new week will be as a result of a tropical system which is associated with a lot of rain, according to Moyo.

“Residents in Gauteng, KZN, the Lowveld of Mpumalanga can expect an 80% chance of rainfall on Tuesday and 60% for those along the south coast.

“At this stage, there are no warnings issued as yet for Gauteng and KZN except for Limpopo on Tuesday but we will continue to monitor the situation in those eastern parts of the country where lots of rain is forecast,” said Moyo.

Rainfall forecast for Wednesday

Further heavy rainfall is forecast on Wednesday with an 80% chance on the cards for Gauteng, the extreme eastern parts of the Free State, the eastern parts of the North West province as well as the south-western Bushveld of Limpopo.

“A 60% chance of rain is forecast for the remainder of the eastern parts of the country,” said Moyo.

Meanwhile daytime temperatures are expected to remain in the cool to warm category for the better part of this week with maximums in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Vereeniging set to range between 23 and 25 degrees celcius.

Towards the end of last year, the SAWS warned of a wet 2023 with above normal rainfall set to last until the coming Autumn season.

ALSO READ: LISTEN: Expect a wet 2023, with above normal rainfall until expected till autumn

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