Hot, dry summer forecast for Zululand region as ‘very strong’ El Niño starts forming

KZN’s far north east is among the regions that should expect a hot, dry summer as a ‘very strong’ El Niño is developing and is expected to last until the end of the 2026/27 summer season.

This is according to the South African Weather Service (SAWS) Seasonal Climate Watch report covering the September 2026 to January 2027 period.

“The typical signs that El Niño will affect South Africa are starting to materialise over the Pacific Ocean and it is expected that [the country] will experience the typical impacts of dryer and warmer conditions during this coming summer,” said the SAWS.

“Predictions indicate that during spring, favourable rainfall conditions over the eastern coastal areas as well as the eastern interior could still be expected.

“However, moving towards early summer, significant areas are expected to receive below-normal rainfall, especially the central interior and the far north east.

“Even though there are indications that the eastern parts of South Africa can expect above-normal rainfall during early summer, caution is advised for the potential change in the forecast due to the developing El Niño.”

Minimum and maximum temperatures for the period in question are expected to be largely above-normal for most of the country.

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