SATURDAY WEATHER: A cold day across SA with warnings for thunderstorms, waves and storm surge

By Staff Writer
Published: 17 April 2026

This forecast is for: Sat 18 April 2026
The maps cover: Sat 18 Apr – Sat 18 Apr


A cold airmass will penetrate further into the central interior by Saturday, while the cold front progresses further east of the country. Widespread cool to cold conditions are expected across much of South Africa. Isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers are forecast over the central and eastern provinces, including the Free State, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal.

By Sunday the cold, wet and windy conditions will have spread to the eastern and southern parts of the country, including the southern and eastern coastline of South Africa. Wave heights along the coastline forecast to reach between 4m and 5m from Sunday into Monday.

Hot and humid weather can be expected along the KwaZulu-Natal coast and adjacent interior on Saturday.

SEE ALSO: Snowfall still possible for the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Lesotho from Friday.

Warnings from the SA Weather Service for Saturday:

A. level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms over parts of the Northern Cape, North West and the Free State as per the map.

B. level 2 warning for damaging wind and waves leading to disruption of port/small harbours activities for a short period of time and difficulty in navigation at sea between Cape Columbine and Plettenberg Bay from Saturday evening into Monday.

C. level 1 warning for storm surge leading to localised damage to coastal infrastructure and disruptions to beach front activities is expected between Storms River and Cannon Rocks in the morning.

Regional forecasts from the SA Weather Service for Saturday:

GAUTENG
Cloudy and cool with scattered showers and thundershowers. It will be warm in the extreme north.

MPUMALANGA
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers over the western Highveld, otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers.

LIMPOPO
Partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered over the western parts.

NORTH-WEST
Cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the east.

THE FREE STATE
Cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers.

THE NORTHERN CAPE
Partly cloudy and cold to cool. The wind along the coast will be light northerly, becoming westerly from the afternoon.

THE WESTERN CAPE
Cloudy and cool with isolated to scattered showers and rain in the south-west, otherwise partly cloudy. It will become fine in the west. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly in the south-west in the morning, otherwise westerly to north-westerly.

THE WESTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Partly cloudy at first, otherwise fine and cool. The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong westerly at first, becoming moderate from late morning.

THE EASTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Partly cloudy and cool but cold in the north. The wind along the coast will be fresh south-westerly, becoming moderate from late morning.

KWAZULU-NATAL
Morning fog patches in the northern parts, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers. It will be hot in places in the north-east. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh northerly to north-easterly in north in the morning, otherwise southerly to south-westerly.

Travellers forecasts from the SA Weather Service for Saturday:

PRETORIA
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 15/21

JOHANNESBURG
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 14/20°C

VEREENIGING
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 15/20°C

MBOMBELA
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/30°C

POLOKWANE
Partly cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 15/24°C

MAHIKENG
Cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 15/23°C

VRYBURG
Cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 12/24°C

BLOEMFONTEIN
Cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 10/22°C

KIMBERLEY
Partly cloudy.
Minimum/Maximum: 09/22°C

UPINGTON
Partly cloudy.
Minimum/Maximum: 09/21°C

CAPE TOWN
Cloudy with scattered showers and rain.
Wind: Light to moderate westerly to north-westerly.
Minimum/Maximum: 13/16°C

GEORGE
Partly cloudy.
Wind: Light north-westerly.
Minimum/Maximum: 13/21°C

GQEBERHA
Fine.
Wind: Fresh westerly, becoming light and variable in the evening.
Minimum/Maximum: 14/22°C

EAST LONDON
Partly cloudy.
Wind: Moderate to fresh south-westerly, becoming light and variable by late afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/22°C

DURBAN
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers in the afternoon.
Wind: Light north-westerly in the early morning, otherwise moderate to fresh south-westerly.
Minimum/Maximum: 22/26°C

RICHARDS BAY
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers in the afternoon.
Wind: Moderate northerly, becoming moderate to fresh south-westerly towards afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 19/32°C

PIETERMARITZBURG
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers from the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 14/24°C

This forecast is usually updated a few times per day.



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