South Africans woke up to breathtaking winter scenes on Wednesday as heavy snow blanketed parts of the country, turning mountain peaks and valleys into a spectacular winter wonderland.

The heaviest snowfall has been reported over Lesotho and the southern Drakensberg, where some areas are expected to receive up to 40cm of snow. Pictures and videos shared on social media show landscapes covered in white, delighting snow lovers while creating hazardous conditions for motorists and residents.

According to weather forecasters, the snowfall forms part of a powerful cut-off low-pressure system that has brought icy temperatures, widespread rain and disruptive weather to several provinces.

Snow is expected across the high-lying areas of the Eastern Cape, southern KwaZulu-Natal, the southern Free State and the Lesotho border regions, while the South African Weather Service has issued multiple weather warnings for heavy rain, snowfall and extremely cold conditions.

Forecasters have warned that mountain passes could become dangerous due to accumulating snow and icy road surfaces, while livestock farmers have also been urged to protect vulnerable animals from the bitter cold.

Although the snowfall is largely confined to higher elevations, the icy air mass has caused temperatures to plummet across much of the country, with many inland areas experiencing one of the coldest spells of the winter.

For many South Africans, however, the rare sight of snow has created a magical winter wonderland, with families flocking to elevated areas to enjoy the unusual spectacle and capture memorable photographs.

Weather experts have advised travellers heading towards the Drakensberg, Lesotho and other mountainous regions to monitor the latest road and weather updates before setting out, as conditions may change rapidly throughout the day.

Pretoria is expected to escape the worst of the cold weather. Residents can expect sunny to partly cloudy skies with cool daytime temperatures of around 20°C on Wednesday, followed by cold mornings and overnight lows of about 7°C.

No snowfall is forecast for Jacaranda City, although the cold snap is expected to linger into Thursday before temperatures begin to recover.

Also read: Electrocuted at Planet Fitness: Pretoria man finally discharged after month in hospital

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 or WhatsApp Channel.