WEDNESDAY WEATHER: A high likelihood of significant impacts from disruptive rainfall in the north-east and a heat wave elsewhere

By Staff Writer
Published: 13 January 2026 [updated 14 January]

This forecast is for: Wed 14 January 2026
The maps cover: Wed 14 Jan – Fri 16 Jan


The latest forecast is available by clicking here.

There is a likelihood of severe impacts around Thohoyandou, Thengwe, Kruger, Mukumbani, Graskop, Malale, Phunda-Maria and areas near major rivers such as the Olifants, Sabie, Letaba River etc through Tuesday and Wednesday.

Hot and humid conditions can be expected over the eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.

Very hot to extremely hot conditions can be expected over the north-eastern and in places over the eastern parts the Western Cape, as well as the Cape Winelands, and Khai-Ma Municipality in the Northern Cape.

A heat wave with persistently high temperatures is expected over the Central and Little Karoo districts, as well as Witzenberg municipality of the Western Cape, as well as over most parts of the Eastern Cape, the southern half of North West, the Free State and the central and eastern parts of the Northern Cape.

Warnings from the SA Weather Service for Wednesday:

A. level 9 warning for disruptive rainfall resulting in widespread flooding of roads and settlements, widespread mudslides, rockfalls and soil erosion, danger to life due to fast flowing stream, widespread damage to property, building and loss of livelihood and livestock as well as possible widespread displacement of affected communities over the eastern parts of Limpopo (Vhembe and Mopani District Municipalities) and over Mpumalanga Lowveld and escarpment (Ehlanzeni District Municipality).

B. level 6 warning for disruptive rainfall resulting in flooding of roads and settlements (formal and informal), mudslides rockfalls and soil erosion, danger to life due to fast flowing stream, damage to property, infrastructure, loss of Livelihood and livestock over the central parts of Limpopo (parts of Capricorn and Sekhukhune District Municipalities) and eastern Highveld of Mpumalanga (Emakhazeni, Msukaligwa, Mkhondo and Chief Albert Luthuli local Municipalities).

C. level 2 warning for disruptive rainfall resulting in localised flooding of susceptible formal/informal settlements or roads, low-lying areas and bridges, localised mudslides, rockfalls and soil erosion in places over the central parts of Mpumalanga and western parts of Limpopo excluding the extreme south-western parts, as well as the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

D. level 1 warning for severe thunderstorms over parts of the Northern Cape, North West, the Free State and the Eastern Cape as per the updated map above.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over vast parts of Northern Cape, as well as Matsikama, Cederberg, Langsburg and Prince Albert local Municipalities in the Western Cape.

Regional forecasts from the SA Weather Service for Wednesday:

GAUTENG
Partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered over the extreme north-eastern parts.

MPUMALANGA
Cloudy and cool to warm with widespread showers and thundershowers in the east, otherwise scattered showers and thundershowers.

LIMPOPO
Cloudy and cool to warm with widespread showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the south-west.

NORTH-WEST
Partly cloudy and hot with isolated showers and thundershowers.

THE FREE STATE
Morning fog patches in the east, otherwise Partly cloudy and hot with isolated showers and thundershowers.

THE NORTHERN CAPE
Morning fog patches along the coast, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated showers and thundershowers in the east. It will be fine and warm in places in the west. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-westerly.

THE WESTERN CAPE
Morning fog along the south coast and northern parts of the west coast, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot but very hot in places over the eastern interior with isolated showers and rain in the extreme south-western parts.It will be fine in the north-western interior. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh west to south-westerly, becoming strong in the south-west from the evening, but southely along the south coast in the morning.

THE WESTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Cloudy in the south in the morning, otherwise fine and hot to very hot but extremely hot in the north-east, becoming partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers in the north and eastern parts. The wind along the coast will be light and variable at first, becoming moderate easterly by late morning, but south-easterly in the afternoon. It will become moderate to fresh south-westerly in the evening.

THE EASTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Morning fog patches, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot, but very hot in places over the interior. Isolated showers and thundershowers are expected in the afternoon but scattered over the western parts. The wind along the coast will be light and variable at first, becoming moderate to fresh north-easterly by late morning, but south-westerly in the south by late evening.

KWAZULU-NATAL
Morning fog patches, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and rain but cloudy with widespread to scattered showers and rain in the north. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate southerly to south-westerly until late morning, otherwise moderate to fresh easterly to north-easterly.

Travellers forecasts from the SA Weather Service for Wednesday:

PRETORIA
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers
Minimum/Maximum: 17/28°C

JOHANNESBURG
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers
Minimum/Maximum: 15/26°C

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

MBOMBELA
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 19/24°C

POLOKWANE
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/20°C

MAHIKENG
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/32°C

VRYBURG
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/33°C

BLOEMFONTEIN
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/34°C

KIMBERLEY
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 21/37°C

UPINGTON
Fine, becoming partly cloudy.
Minimum/Maximum: 23/40°C

CAPE TOWN
Fine but cloudy in the evening with light rain.
Wind: moderate to fresh west to south-westerly, but strong in the evening.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/28°C

GEORGE
Foggy at first, otherwise partly cloudy.
Wind: Light south-easterly becoming fresh in the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/30°C

GQEBERHA
Cloudy in the morning, otherwise partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers in the evening.
Wind: Light and variable at first, becoming moderate easterly by late morning, but south-easterly in the afternoon. It will become moderate to fresh south-westerly in the evening.
Minimum/Maximum: 19/28°C

EAST LONDON
Cloudy in the morning, otherwise partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Wind: Light and variable at first, becoming moderate to fresh north-easterly by late morning, but south-westerly by late evening.
Minimum/Maximum: 21/28°C

DURBAN
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and rain.
Wind: Light southerly to south-westerly until late morning, otherwise moderate to fresh easterly to north-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 23/31°C

RICHARDS BAY
Cloudy with scattered showers and rain.
Wind: Moderate to fresh north-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 23/33°C

PIETERMARITZBURG
Morning fog, otherwise partly cloudy with isolated showers and rain.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/33°C

This forecast is usually updated a few times per day.



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