Another cold front: SA Weather Service predicts a freezing, wet weekend

A 60 to 80% chance of rain and thundershowers is expected, with some snowfall in Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

While Friday was a warm day with no rain throughout the country, temperatures are expected to drop as a cold front will hit the Western Cape from Saturday. This, however, won’t last long as a warmer week is expected from Tuesday onwards, said the South African Weather Service.

The weather service forecasts another cold weekend for parts of the country with large chances of rain and thundershowers and snowfall in various areas, particularly in Limpopo and Mpumalanga. 

Forecaster Tokelo Chiloane said a 60% to 80% chance of showers and thundershowers were expected in the Western Cape on Saturday afternoon, and snowfall over the province’s escarpment and the southern escarpment of the Northern Cape. “The cold systems are expected to move eastward and reach the Eastern Cape on Sunday evening and, with that, we are expecting, again, an 80% chance of showers and thundershowers along the coast and a 60% chance into the interior.”

She said a significant drop in temperatures was predicted in those areas, including snowfall over the escarpment of the Eastern Cape on Sunday. From Monday, the cold front is expected to exit the country, leaving behind cold air while snowfall is predicted in the KwaZulu-Natal escarpment on the day, Chiloane said.

From Monday, the cold front is expected to exit the country, leaving behind cold air while snowfall is predicted in the KwaZulu-Natal escarpment on the day, Chiloane said. “Temperatures are expected to significantly drop [on Monday] to highs of 14°C in Ermelo and Pietermaritzburg, 18°C in Johannesburg, 10°C in Elliot[inthe Eastern Cape] and 14°C degrees maximum for East London. We are expecting it to reach highs of 14°C in George and 18°C in the Cape Town area,” she said.

The cold will come to an end on Tuesday, as temperatures are forecasted to gradually rise with a maximum of 22°C predicted for Pretoria, 20°C for Johannesburg, 18°C in Durban, 22°C in Cape Town and a maximum temperature of 22°C in Gqeberha, Chiloane said. “It will be a warm week from Tuesday next week into the weekend,” she said.

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