The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued alerts for an intense cold front sweeping across the country from Wednesday, bringing widespread snowfall to mountainous regions in the Cape and Lesotho.

While Pretoria won’t see snowflakes, the city will feel the impact as cold, windy conditions settle in by Friday, with daytime highs around 15°C and early morning temperatures dipping below 5°C through the weekend.

VoxWeather forecaster Michelle du Plessis said The cold front would arrive in the Cape on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and rough seas.

“Light snowfall is possible over the mountains and high-lying areas in the Cape provinces, Lesotho, and surrounding regions, but not nearly as heavy as the snowfall earlier this month.”

She said the cold weather is expected to reach Gauteng by Friday, with maximum temperatures around 15°C in Pretoria and below 15°C in Johannesburg.

“The weekend will remain cold, with highs around 15°C and possible morning temperatures below 5°C. It will be windy before the cold reaches Gauteng, and cold winds will continue to blow on Thursday and Friday, but no rain or snow is expected.”

Meanwhile, the SAWS has issued a weather alert for a powerful cold front expected to make landfall over the south-western parts of the country on Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

It said the system will sweep across the Northern Cape, Western Cape, and eventually into the Eastern Cape and interior provinces by Friday, 27 June, bringing a significant drop in temperatures and several severe weather conditions.

The SAWS furthermore added that in the Western Cape and Namakwa District of the Northern Cape, heavy rainfall could lead to localised flooding, especially in low-lying and poorly drained areas.

Strong, gusty winds may cause damage to infrastructure and uproot trees. The mountain regions in the Cape and parts of the south-western interior of the Northern Cape are expected to receive light to moderate snowfall.

Coastal areas will be hit by gale-force winds and very rough seas, with wave heights between 5.5 to 7.5 metres, potentially disrupting port operations and putting smaller vessels at risk.

As the cold front moves eastward into the Eastern Cape on Thursday, strong, damaging winds are expected across most parts of the province.

By Thursday and Friday, these cold, gusty winds will extend into the interior and eastern provinces, including Gauteng.

While Pretoria is not expected to receive any snow or rain, the cold front will bring chilly weather to the city, with maximum temperatures dropping to around 15°C and early morning lows potentially falling below 5°C. Windy conditions are expected to persist into Friday.

“The public is urged to take necessary precautions, especially motorists and coastal residents, as the conditions may lead to hazardous driving and shoreline safety risks. SAWS will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as the system progresses.”

Also read: Missing Pretoria teenager found unharmed

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.