SATURDAY WEATHER: Severe thunderstorms warnings for seven provinces including a level 5

By Staff Writer
Published: 9 January 2026 [updated 10 January]

This forecast is for: Sat 10 January 2026
The maps cover: Sat 10 Jan – Sat 10 Jan


The latest forecast is available by clicking here.

Very hot to extremely hot and uncomfortable conditions are expected over most places except the south coast of the Western Cape on Saturday. Morning fog can be expected in a few provinces.

Widespread showers and thundershowers are expected over the north-eastern parts of South Africa on Sunday. Models are indicating significant amounts of rain in excess of 100mm for some areas and significant impacts are possible over these areas.

Warnings from the SA Weather Service for Saturday:

A. level 5 warning for severe thunderstorms associated with heavy downpours leading to flooding of susceptible roads, settlements, low-lying bridges/areas, strong damaging winds, hail and excessive lightning over Lowveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, as well as parts of KwaZulu-Natal as per the updated map above.

B. level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours leading to localised flooding of susceptible roads, settlements, low-lying bridges/areas, strong damaging winds, hail and excessive lightning over Escarpment of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, western parts of the North West, extreme eastern parts of the Northern Cape, western and central parts of Free State, northern parts of the Eastern Cape, as well as parts of KwaZulu-Natal as per the updated map above.

The following areas appear to have been upgraded to level 4 (except those within the level 5 warning area), after the updated warning map was generated by the weather service: Abaqulusi, Big Five Hlabisa (Hlabisa & Hluhluwe), eDumbe, eMadlangeni, Jozini, Mandeni, Mthonjaneni, Mtubatuba, Nkandla, Nongoma, Nquthu, Ulundi, uMhlabuyalingana, uMlalazi, and uPhongolo in KZN.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the southern parts of Sarah Baartman and Nelson Mandela municipalities of the Eastern Cape, vast parts of the Northern Cape, in places over the western parts of the Western Cape and Free State.

Warnings from the SA Weather Service for Sunday:

A. level 6 warning for severe thunderstorms over parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.

B. level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms over parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.

Regional forecasts from the SA Weather Service for Saturday:

GAUTENG
Partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers.

MPUMALANGA
Cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers but widespread in the Lowveld as well as the northern escarpment.

LIMPOPO
Cloudy and warm to hot with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers in the west but widespread in the east.

NORTH-WEST
Fine in the west and central parts in the morning, otherwise partly cloudy, windy and warm to hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered in the west.

THE FREE STATE
Fine in the west and central parts in the morning, otherwise partly cloudy, windy and warm to hot, with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the extreme east where morning fog is expected.

THE NORTHERN CAPE
Cloudy with morning fog over the north-western parts, otherwise, fine, windy and hot to very hot but partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers in the east and central but scattered in the extreme east. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate southerly to south-easterly.

THE WESTERN CAPE
Cloudy over the central and eastern parts in the morning as well as long the south coast in the afternoon, otherwise fine and hot to very hot but extremely hot over the northern parts of the West Coast District. The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong south-easterly to easterly but moderate along the west coast.

THE WESTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Cloudy with morning fog in places, becoming partly cloudy and warm, but hot with isolated thundershowers in the extreme north. The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong easterly.

THE EASTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Cloudy with light morning rain south of the escarpment, becoming partly cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the west. The wind along the coast will be moderate easterly, becoming fresh to strong north-easterly in the afternoon.

KWAZULU-NATAL
Morning fog patches in places over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers. The wind along the coast will be moderate southerly to south-easterly becoming north-easterly in the south by evening.

Travellers forecasts from the SA Weather Service for Saturday:

PRETORIA
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/29°C

JOHANNESBURG
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/27°C

VEREENIGING
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/29°C

MBOMBELA
Cloudy and cool to warm with widespread showers and thundershower.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/24°C

POLOKWANE
Cloudy and warm to hot with scattered thundershowers and showers.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/23°C

MAHIKENG
Partly cloudy, with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 19/33°C

VRYBURG
Fine and windy, becoming partly cloudy with scattered afternoon showers and thundershowers in the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 19/34°C

BLOEMFONTEIN
Fine and windy, becoming partly cloudy with scattered afternoon showers and thundershowers in the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/35°C

KIMBERLEY
Fine and windy, becoming partly cloudy with scattered afternoon showers and thundershowers in the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/36°C

UPINGTON
Partly cloudy and windy, with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers in the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 23/39°C

CAPE TOWN
Fine.
Wind: Moderate southerly to south-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 19/34°C

GEORGE
Fine, partly cloudy in the late afternoon.
Wind: Moderate easterly to south-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/26°C

GQEBERHA
Cloudy becoming partly cloudy.
Wind: Fresh to strong easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/27°C

EAST LONDON
Cloudy with light morning rain, becoming scattered showers and thundershowers in the afternoon to evening.
Wind: Moderate easterly, becoming fresh to strong north-easterly in the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 19/27°C

DURBAN
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Wind: Moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 22/25°C

RICHARDS BAY
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Wind: Moderate southerly to south-westerly becoming south-easterly in the afternoon
Minimum/Maximum: 21/28°C

PIETERMARITZBURG
Morning fog, otherwise cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/23°C

This forecast is usually updated a few times per day.



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