Find out what the latest weather forecast from the SA Weather Service means for your region on 17 January 2026.
The South African Weather Service has warned that heavy downpours are expected to continue in Limpopo and Mpumalanga on Saturday, 17 January, with severe thunderstorms likely in parts of the North West and the Free State.
Meanwhile, fire danger conditions and damaging winds are forecast for the Northern Cape.
Here is what you need to know.
Weather warnings for 17 January 2026
Impact-based warnings
The weather service has issued an orange level 9 warning for disruptive rain with further heavy downpours leading to widespread flooding and resulting in danger to life due to fast flowing streams, displacement of communities, widespread damage to settlements or structures over the northern escapement and the Lowveld of Mpumalanga and the eastern parts of Limpopo.
An orange level 6 warning has been issued for disruptive rainfall over the central parts of Limpopo (parts of Capricorn and Sekhukhune District Municipalities) and eastern Highveld of Mpumalanga (Emakhazeni, Msukaligwa, Mkhondo and Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipalities).
Expect flooding of roads and formal and informal settlements, mudslides rockfalls, soil erosion, danger to life due to fast flowing stream, damage to property and infrastructure, and loss of livelihood and livestock.
For the central parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, and the northeastern parts of Kwazulu-Natal, Saws has issued a yellow level 2 warning for disruptive rainfall. This could result in localised flooding of susceptible formal and informal settlements or roads, low-lying areas and bridges, localised mudslides, rockfalls and soil erosion.
The weather service has also issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours, damaging winds, large amounts of hail and excessive lighting in the central parts of the North West and the Free State, and the extreme southwestern parts of Limpopo.
Localised flooding and damage to settlements and infrastructure are expected.
A yellow level 1 warning has also been issued for damaging winds over the western interior of Northern Cape.
Saws warns of localised damage to formal and informal settlements and temporary structures, with longer travel times required for some journeys.
Fire danger warnings
Expect extremely high fire danger conditions in most parts of the Northern Cape.
ALSO READ: Limpopo floods claim nine lives, billions needed for damages
Provincial weather forecast
Here’s what to expect in your province on 17 January:
Gauteng:
Residents can expect a cloudy and cool to warm day with scattered showers and thundershowers.
The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “high”.
Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.
Mpumalanga:
Expect cloudy and cool to warm conditions with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread in the east.
Limpopo:
It will be cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers.
North West:
Partly cloudy and warm to hot weather awaits North West residents, with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the east.
Free State:
Residents can expect cloudy skies with morning fog patches over the extreme east at first; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers, except over the southwestern parts.
Northern Cape:
It will be a fine, windy and hot day, becoming partly cloudy over the eastern parts.
Western Cape:
Expect fine weather in the extreme west at first; otherwise it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated rain and showers over the south coast in the morning.
The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “very high”.
Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.
Eastern Cape (western half):
It will be cloudy and warm with isolated showers and rain along the coast, but partly cloudy over the interior.
Eastern Cape (eastern half):
Expect cloudy skies in the morning south of the escarpment, with light rain along the coast and adjacent interior. Otherwise, a partly cloudy day awaits with afternoon thunderstorms, mainly east of Queenstown.
KwaZulu-Natal:
There will be morning fog patches over the interior; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the north.
