Thursday’s weather: Strong winds, fire danger and icy roads

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has warned of damaging winds and fire danger in parts of the Western and Northern Cape, while the Eastern Cape faces very cold conditions and icy or slippery roads.

Here is what weather to expect Thursday.

Weather warnings for 13 August 2026

Impact-based warnings

The weather service has issued a yellow level 2 warning for damaging winds leading to localised damage to temporary structures and localised reduced visibility due to dust storms in the northern parts of the West Coast District and the Witzenberg Local Municipality of the Western Cape, and the Namakwa District of the Northern Cape.

Fire danger

Expect extremely high fire danger conditions over Nama-Khoi and Hantam Local Municipalities of the Northern Cape, and the Matzikama and Cederberg Local Municipalities of the Western Cape.

Advisories

Saws warns of very cold conditions and icy or slippery roads in places over Emalahleni, Sakhisizwe, Senqu, Elundini and Matatiele Local Municipalities of the Eastern Cape.

Extended weather forecast for Thursday and Friday, 13-14 August 2026:
Fine and warm in places in the west, otherwise partly cloudy and cold to cool with isolated showers and rain in the extreme east but drizzle along the north-eastern escarpment.#saws #weatheroutlook #winter pic.twitter.com/mjxYK0356k

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) August 11, 2026

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on 13 August:

Gauteng:

It will be a cloudy and cool to cold day.

Mpumalanga:

Expect morning fog patches over the Escarpment; otherwise, it will be cloudy to partly cloudy and cool to cold with isolated showers and rain in the east.

Limpopo:

There will be morning fog patches over the Escarpment; otherwise, the day will be cloudy to partly cloudy and cool to cold with isolated showers and rain in the east.

North West:

Cloudy and cool to cold weather awaits.

Free State:

Expect morning fog patches in the extreme east; otherwise, it will be cloudy and cold.

Northern Cape:

There will be evening fog along the coast; otherwise, it will be fine and cool to warm in the west and partly cloudy, windy and cool to cold in the east.

Western Cape:

Fine and cool to warm weather conditions are expected, although partly cloudy in the northeast.

Eastern Cape (western half):

There will be fog in places in the south; otherwise, it will be fine and cool but cold in the extreme northern interior.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

Expect cloudy skies in places over the interior with morning fog. Otherwise, it will be fine and cool to cold but very cold along the Drakensberg and adjacent areas.

KwaZulu-Natal:

There will be morning fog patches over the interior; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and cool to cold but very cold in places in the west, with isolated showers and rain along the coast and adjacent interior.

The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “very high”.

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.