Weather update: Severe storms and flooding threaten multiple provinces

The South African Weather Service (Saws) released its latest weather forecast for Saturday, 9 December.

The weather service has warned about disruptive rain leading to localised flooding in the Western Cape; severe thunderstorms with possible strong damaging winds, hail and heavy downpours in six provinces and extremely high fire danger in the Northern Cape. Here’s what you need to know.

Weather warnings, 9 December

Residents in the Swellendam, Hessequa and Mosselbay Local Municipalities of the Western Cape are warned of disruptive rain leading to localised flooding of susceptible formal and informal settlements.

In the extreme eastern parts of Free State, eastern parts of the North West, Gauteng, the northern interior of KwaZulu-Natal, the south-eastern parts of Limpopo, and parts of Mpumalanga, except in the extreme north-east, there is a warning of severe thunderstorms with possible strong damaging winds, hail, and heavy downpours.

Fire danger

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the central and northern parts of the Northern Cape.

Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on Saturday, 8 December

Gauteng:

Residents of Gauteng can anticipate a partly cloudy and warm day with scattered showers and thundershowers. It will be hot in the north.

The expected UVB sunburn index for the region is categorised as “extreme.”

Therefore, residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Mpumalanga:

Mpumalanga residents can expect a partly cloudy and warm to hot day with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated over the Bushbuckridge.

Limpopo:

The day will be partly cloudy and warm to hot, with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the north and east, except in the Limpopo Valley.

North-West Province:

A day of fine weather in the morning awaits the residents of the North-West Province, but otherwise partly cloudy, windy, and hot conditions with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered in the east. It will be very hot in the west.

Free State:

Residents of the Free State can anticipate morning fog in the extreme east, but otherwise partly cloudy, windy, and hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the extreme south-west and scattered in the extreme east.

Northern Cape:

Residents in the west can anticipate morning fog in the extreme south-east, but otherwise partly cloudy, windy and warm to hot conditions, with isolated showers and thundershowers in the extreme east and south.

Western Cape:

In the west, Western Cape residents can expect partly cloudy conditions but otherwise cloudy and cool to warm with isolated to scattered showers and rain, except in the north-west, widespread along the south-coast.

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

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Eastern Cape (western half):

Conditions are expected to be cloudy and cool with scattered showers and rain, but wide-spread along the coast and adjacent interior.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

A partly cloudy with isolated thundershowers day is anticipated in the extreme north, but otherwise cloudy and cool with scattered showers and rain, and widespread along the coast and adjacent interior.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to morning fog in places over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers.