Rain, rain and more rain forecast for most of the country

ZULULANDERS, together with most of South Africa, are in for a very wet weekend and potentially into next week.

This as a severe cut-off low is set to affect not only parts of South Africa, but also Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Mozambique, eSwatini and Zimbabwe.

While KZN could get away without being affected by the severity of the cut-off low, rain is forecast around the Zululand region from today until Sunday at least, with inland areas like eShowe experiencing a wet early part of next week too.

According to the SA Weather Service (SAWS), temperatures are set to drop and flooding could occur.

“Cut-off lows are large weather systems notorious for causing widespread flooding, as evidenced by events such as the well-known KZN flooding in 2022 and the Laingsburg flooding in 1981,” said SAWS.

“These weather systems can also bring damaging winds, severe thunderstorms and even snow, depending on the season in which they develop.

“Cut-off lows are most frequent during autumn and spring, with the highest frequency during April.”

The SAWS said tropical moisture has been transported from our neighbouring countries to the central and eastern interior of South Africa since Wednesday, which resulted in scattered rainfall on Thursday and Friday.

“An intense cut-off low is expected to develop along the west coast of the country from Saturday afternoon. It will then move over the Northern Cape on Sunday, reach the interior of the Western Cape on Monday, and exit along the southern coast of the Western Cape on Tuesday, 9 April,” continued the SAWS.

“Widespread showers and thundershowers are expected to develop over much of the country during Saturday and will continue until at least Tuesday, whereafter calm and clear weather conditions will return to many areas.”

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