Weather service issues storm warnings across South Africa

Severe thunderstorms forecast for northern provinces while coastal regions brace for damaging winds and storm surges.

The South African Weather Service issued multiple weather warnings for Sunday and Monday, with severe thunderstorms expected in the north and storm surges threatening southern coastal areas¹²³.

A Yellow Level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms was issued for Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, and the extreme northeast of the Northern Cape²³. The weather service said severe thunderstorms may cause localised flooding and damage to infrastructure, settlements, property, vehicles, and livestock due to heavy downpours and strong damaging winds². The warnings indicate a high likelihood of minor impacts³.

Along the coast, the weather service issued a Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging winds and waves between Cape Columbine and Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape, expected from Saturday evening into Monday¹. The warning was later extended to include the area spreading to Alexander Bay on the Namibian border, with conditions expected to continue until Thursday morning³. The service warned of disruption to port and small harbour activities for a short period and difficulty in navigation at sea¹.

A separate Yellow Level 1 warning for storm surge was issued for the Eastern Cape coast between Storms River and Cannon Rocks, expected in the morning¹. The weather service warned of localised damage to coastal infrastructure and disruptions to beachfront activities¹. A Yellow Level 2 warning for storm surges was also issued between Plettenberg Bay and Port Alfred, with warnings of localised flooding of some coastal areas².

Cold, wet and windy conditions were forecast for most parts of the Western Cape and Northern Cape¹. A Yellow Level 2 warning for disruptive rainfall was issued for Cape Town³. The weather service described storm surge as a rapid rise of sea level near the portion of the eyewall associated with onshore winds, sometimes reaching a height of more than six metres and accompanied by very large wind-driven waves¹.