Six weather warnings for Thursday including level 6 disruptive rain

By Staff Writer
Published: 12 March 2025 [updated 13 March]

This forecast is for: Thu 13 March 2025
The maps cover: Thu 13 Mar – Sat 15 Mar

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A cold front is expected to pass through the eastern parts of South Africa accompanied by a ridging high resulting in persistent widespread showers and thundershowers over the south-eastern parts until Friday evening, bringing with it a significant amount of rainfall according to the SA Weather Service (SAWS).

South-easterly winds (50-70 km/h gusting up to 90 km/h) are expected between Saldanha Bay and Cape Agulhas from Wednesday evening spreading to Plettenberg Bay on Thursday. These winds will persist into Friday however moderating north of Table Bay, and are likely to affect the adjacent coastal towns on Thursday and Friday.

Southerly to south-easterly swells with wave heights of 4m-5.5m are expected between Saldanha Bay and Cape Agulhas from midday Thursday spreading to Plettenberg Bay during Thursday afternoon. These wave heights will continue throughout Friday, although subsiding north of Table Bay from Friday afternoon. Spring tide is expected for the weekend and thus tides will reaching further up the beachfront. The south-easterly wave direction will allow large waves to impact normally protected bays.

Disruptive rain leading to flooding is expected in places along the coast between Port Alfred and Port Edward, including the adjacent interior from the Thursday into Friday.

Warnings from the SA Weather Service from Thursday:

A. orange level 6 warning disruptive rain with heavy downpours leading to flooding of roads and settlements, damage to infrastructure and mudslides over the south-eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

B. yellow level 4 warning severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours resulting in localised flooding of susceptible roads and settlements, strong damaging winds, excessive lightning and small hail is possible over most parts of KwaZulu-Natal, except in the south-east and extreme north-east.

C. yellow level 2 warning disruptive rain with heavy downpours leading to localized flooding of roads and settlements, damage to infrastructure and mudslides over the south-eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

D. yellow level 2 warning severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours resulting in localised flooding of susceptible roads and settlements, strong damaging winds, excessive lightning and small hail is possible over the south-eastern parts of northern Cape, southern parts of Free State as well as along Lesotho borders, eastern parts of North West, Gauteng, southern Limpopo and most parts of Mpumalanga, except in the Lowveld.

E. yellow level 4 warning wind and waves leading to difficulty in navigation at sea is expected between Saldanha Bay and Plettenberg Bay.

F. yellow level 2 warning wind and waves leading to difficulty in navigation at sea is expected between Plettenberg Bay and Mazeppa Bay.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the western parts of Northern Cape and north-western parts of Western Cape.

Regional forecasts from SAWS for Thursday:

1. GAUTENG
Cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers. It will be partly cloudy in the south-west.
The expected UVB sunburn index: High

2. MPUMALANGA
Cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers but isolated in the Lowveld.

3. LIMPOPO
Cloudy in the southern parts, otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered over the south-central parts.

4. NORTH-WEST PROVINCE
Partly cloudy and warm, with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the east where morning fog is expected.

5. FREE STATE
Morning fog patches in the east where it will be cloudy, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the north-west.

6. NORTHERN CAPE
Fine in the extreme west, partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the south-east. It will be very hot over the western interior. The wind along the coast will be moderate south to south-westerly.

7. WESTERN CAPE
Fin and very hot to extremely hot in west, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers. It will be cloudy and cool along the south coast and adjacent interior. The wind along the coast will moderate to fresh south-easterly, strong along the south-west, where it will reach gale from the late morning, and spreading to the south.
The expected UVB sunburn index: Very High

8. WESTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread along the coast and adjacent interior. The wind along the coast will be light and variable early morning, otherwise fresh to strong south-easterly.

9. EASTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Morning fog in places, otherwise cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread along the coast and adjacent interior. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate north-easterly until mid-morning, otherwise moderate to fresh south-easterly, reaching strong in places.

10. KWAZULU-NATAL
Morning fog over the interior, otherwise cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread in the south-east. The wind along the coast will be light and variable in the south in the morning, otherwise moderate easterly to south-easterly.
The expected UVB sunburn index: High

Travellers forecasts from SAWS for Thursday:

PRETORIA
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/25°C
The expected UVB Sunburn Index: High

JOHANNESBURG
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 15/22°C

VEREENIGING
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 15/24°C

MBOMBELA
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/28°C

POLOKWANE
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/26°C

MAHIKENG
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/28°C

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

BLOEMFONTEIN
Partly cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/30°C

KIMBERLEY
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/30°C

UPINGTON
Partly cloudy, with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 22/35°C

CAPE TOWN
Fine.
Wind: moderate south-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 21/31°C
The expected UVB Sunburn Index: Very High

GEORGE
Cloudy with scattered showers and rain.
Wind: fresh to strong south-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/22°C

GQEBERHA
Cloudy with widespread showers and rain.
Wind: resh to strong south-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/24°C

EAST LONDON
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Wind: moderate to fresh south-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/26°C

DURBAN
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Wind: moderate easterly to south-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/28°C
The expected UVB Sunburn Index: High

RICHARDS BAY
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Wind: Moderate southerly to south-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/31°C

PIETERMARITZBURG
Morning fog, otherwise cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/27°C

This forecast is usually updated a few times per day.

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