Yikes! Mzansi’s weather conditions will humble you. If you are reading this from Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, congratulations. You legit survived a cyclone that, thankfully, was downgraded to a tropical storm just before it was it hit South Africa.
The Eloise weather system, which has affected more than 250 000 people and left at least 15 people dead across 5 countries, has largely dissipated.
Don’t make major plans for the weekend, though.
We’re still in a Covid-19 lockdown, and wet and stormy weather continues for the Highveld this weekend.
Our friends at People’s Weather say on Saturday, Gauteng, North West, the northern and eastern parts of the Free State, and western KwaZulu-Natal can expect cloudy conditions. This will be accompanied by scattered thunderstorms with substantial rainfall.
A very similar day is in store on Sunday with the tropical moisture continuously flowing into South Africa’s borders. Long story short, scattered thunderstorms are expected from North West to the KwaZulu-Natal interior.
And on Sunday?
If you’re out in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, brace yourself for isolated showers and even thundershowers on Saturday and Sunday. Food For Mzansi fans in the Eastern Cape, north-eastern Northern Cape and Free State can also expect isolated showers on Sunday, with a slightly cooler day.
The weekend weather vibes in the Cape provinces, central interior and Lowveld, however, look a lot different.
If you’re out in this part of Mzansi, you can expect hot weather on Saturday. It will be a few degrees cooler in coastal areas due to the moderating effect of the ocean.
Be prepared, though, for scorching hot, dry and windy conditions in the interior parts of the Cape provinces on Sunday.
BUMPER CROP: Impact of ever-changing weather conditions
The weekend ends off with a weak cold front that moves over the southern part of South Africa on Sunday night. Clouds are already starting to build up along the south-west coast from early on Sunday, resulting in a cooler day.
Weather updates for 14 national parks
If you’re lucky enough to be at any of the 14 national parks in Mzansi, they’ve also got you covered with park-specific updates to plan your wildlife tours.
At the moment, Shingwedzi Rest Camp is the wettest of all the parks after topping 11mm in 24 hours. At 36 degree Celcius, Augrabies Falls National Park is the hottest.
If you get easily wind rage, stay away from the Namaqua Flowers Beach Camp. The wind is blowing at 33 km/h in a southern direction.
At 22 degree Celsius, Namaqua Flowers is currently also the coldest of all the South African National Parks although, of course, 22 degree Celsius is hardly anything to complain about.
For the latest weather updates, be sure to tune into People’s Weather on DStv channel 180 or Openview channel 115. If you want to know specifics about your city or town, check out the interactive weather map for updates from anywhere in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.
