SAWS warns of disruptive snow, rain and wind as cold front sweeps South Africa

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) says the country will experience typical winter conditions this week, driven by a cold front supported by an upper cut-off low.

In a statement on Tuesday, the weather service said wet, very cold and windy conditions can be expected over the southern parts of the Free State, Northern Cape, Gauteng and Mpumalanga, as well as the interior of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Snowfalls are possible over mountainous areas, and rough seas are forecast along the coast.

SAWS urged farmers and the public to take necessary precautions and issued the following warnings for Tuesday:

An Orange Level 6 warning has been issued for disruptive snow over Emalahleni, Sakhisizwe, Senqu, Elundini and Matatiele in the Eastern Cape, where conditions could disrupt livelihoods, cause major traffic disruptions and leave some communities temporarily inaccessible.

A Yellow Level 2 warning for disruptive snow applies to parts of Dr Beyers Naude, Raymond Mhlaba, Amahlathi, Intsika Yethu, Dr AB Xuma, Mhlontlo and Mzimvubu local municipalities, and the Chris Hani District Municipality in the Eastern Cape, as well as the eastern and southern parts of the Free State along the Lesotho border and the western parts of KwaZulu-Natal. This warning covers localised traffic disruptions, isolated loss of livestock and crops, and localised disruptions to services.

A further Yellow Level 2 warning for disruptive rain is in place for Mpumalanga, excluding its extreme western parts, with localised flooding of susceptible settlements, roads and bridges possible.

Damaging winds and waves are expected along the KwaZulu-Natal coast under a Yellow Level 2 warning, raising the risk of disruption to small harbours or ports, danger to navigation, disruption of coastal activities, damage to infrastructure and settlements, injuries and danger to life from flying debris.

A separate Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging winds covers the northern parts of the West Coast District and Witzenberg Municipality in the Western Cape, the Namakwa District (excluding the north-eastern parts of Pofadder Municipality) in the Northern Cape, and the western parts of Mpumalanga, with possible damage to formal and informal settlements, localised reduced visibility due to dust storms, and localised damage to temporary structures.

A Yellow Level 1 warning for damaging winds is in effect between Table Bay and Cape Agulhas from Tuesday morning until Wednesday afternoon (11–12 August), which could make navigation at sea difficult.

SAWS has also flagged extremely high fire danger conditions over the Richtersveld Municipality.