Thunderstorms could crash Boks-All Blacks showdown

Thunderstorms, heavy rain and lightning could complicate Saturday’s decisive Springbok-All Blacks clash at FNB Stadium.

Severe weather is expected to move across Johannesburg around the same time as the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry showdown gets underway.

Airlink announced earlier this week that it canned the pre-match flyby too because of the expected weather conditions.

Weather forecaster and social media personality the Weather Hooligan, aka Juandre Vorster, told The Citizen that he expects Saturday to start cloudy with relatively light winds before conditions deteriorate rapidly from around 3pm as a storm system develops west of Johannesburg and moves towards the city.

“Start your braai early, because the weather will be decent until about lunchtime. Thereafter, it will become more tricky,” he said.

The match kicks off shortly after 5pm, potentially placing tens of thousands of spectators and both teams at the stadium at risk as the storm hits.

“We’re going to have heavy winds and heavy rain from about three or four o’clock,” he said. “Then we’re going to have thunderstorms.”

The Weather Hooligan said rain was highly likely to affect the match, although the intensity of the thunderstorm could be relatively short-lived before giving way to lighter rain.

Concerns

He said the greatest concern during the storm would be lightning rather than wind, particularly if electrical activity develops close to the stadium while players are on the field.

“There’s a lot of lightning showing as well, static charge over that area,” he said.

He suggested sufficiently severe lightning could potentially result in play being temporarily suspended, although any decision to stop the match would rest with match and stadium officials operating under applicable safety protocols at the time.

“The wet conditions, lightning, possibilities of lightning, that’s going to make it an interesting game because they’re going to be wet,” he said.

A change of (game) plan

The rainy conditions are likely to change both teams’ game plans, should the forecast hold.

A slippery ball could make handling more difficult and increase the importance of possession and territory, while players would have to adapt to a soaked playing surface.

The Weather Hooligan said windy conditions may not have a significant impact inside FNB Stadium because of the protection provided by the stadium structure.

“It may become a kicking game as the stadium’s curved design helps channel stronger winds over and around the bowl of the calabash,” he said. “It provides some protection to the playing surface below.”

While he did not expect hail, the Hooligan warned spectators to prepare for rain and to take lightning seriously before and after the match.

“Take raincoats with you. Stay safe. Don’t stand under tall trees. Stay within the stadium’s parameters, under the roof, and don’t go outside if there’s lightning,” he said.

The storm is not expected to hammer Johannesburg throughout the evening.

The Weather Hooligan said typical Highveld thunderstorms could develop rapidly, deliver an intense burst of rain and lightning and then move eastwards, leaving lighter rain behind.

“It is probably going to see some light rain after the storm.”

He said the unstable weather was characteristic of heat-driven thunderstorms which could develop rapidly over Johannesburg rather than arriving as a prolonged weather system.

“They build up. They just form above Johannesburg, and then they disappear again.”