More maps below the forecast

Disruptive rain and flooding on Thursday and heavy rain for the next week

18 December 2024 [updated 19 December]
By Staff Writer


A newer forecast is available by clicking here but the various warnings for Thursday still apply too.

Isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers are expected over the central and eastern areas, but will be widespread over the east central with severe thunderstorms over the eastern and central provinces on Thursday.

Temperatures will be mostly cool to warm, but hot in some places over the western parts of the country.

The dry trend is expected to continue over the central interior for the next week with only isolated thunderstorms possible, but the eastern provinces are likely to see a significant improvement in rainfall over the coming week, as tropical moisture and favourable synoptic conditions are expected to bring more rainfall to the area.

According to the SA Weather Service, the eastern part of South Africa is expected to experience increased rainfall over the next week, with numerical models predicting between 70mm - 150 mm of accumulated rainfall in parts of Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, the eastern Free State, eastern parts of North West, and the western and southern areas of Limpopo

By Friday isolated showers and thundershowers are possible over the north-eastern areas of the country, but scattered over Gauteng, Mpumalanga as well as the eastern parts of North West with light rain expected along the south coast.

Warnings from the SA Weather Service for Thursday:

A. yellow level 4 warning for disruptive rain leading to flooding of roads and settlements, damage to infrastructure and displacement of affected communities is expected in Gauteng, central and western parts of Limpopo, the escarpment
and highveld of Mpumalanga, eastern parts of Free State as well as KwaZulu-Natal, except in the extreme southern and eastern parts.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected places over the central parts of the Northern Cape.

Regional forecasts from SAWS for Thursday:

1. GAUTENG
Cloudy and cool with widespread showers and thundershowers.
The expected UVB sunburn index: Low

2. MPUMALANGA
Cloudy and cool with widespread showers and thundershowers except in the Lowveld where it will be warm with scattered showers and thundershowers.

3. LIMPOPO
Cloudy and warm to hot with scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers.

4. NORTH WEST
Cloudy and cool to warm, with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated over the western parts where it will be partly cloudy.

5. FREE STATE
Cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the west where it will be partly cloudy.

6. NORTHERN CAPE
Fine and cool to warm in the south-west, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers over the eastern parts. The wind along the coast will be fresh south to south-easterly, but strong in the afternoon.

7. WESTERN CAPE
Partly cloudy in the east at first, otherwise fine and warm to hot but very hot over Worcester and Prins Albert. It will be cool along the south-western and southern coast, becoming partly cloudy along the south coast from the evening. The wind along the coast will be fresh easterly along the south coast, otherwise fresh to strong southerly to south-westerly but light and variable along the west coast in the morning.
The expected UVB sunburn index: Extreme

8. WESTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Cloudy at first, otherwise partly cloudy and warm, but cool in places along the coast. Isolated thundershowers are expected in the north-east. The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong easterly.

9. EASTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Warm in places in the north, otherwise cloudy and cool with scattered showers and rain, but isolated thundershowers in the north-west. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh north-easterly.

10. KWAZULU-NATAL
Cloudy and cool to warm with widespread showers and thundershowers. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh easterly to south-easterly, becoming north-easterly in the south by late afternoon.
The expected UVB sunburn index: Moderate

Travellers forecasts from SAWS for Thursday:

PRETORIA
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/23°C
The expected UVB Sunburn Index: Low

JOHANNESBURG
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/22°C

VEREENIGING
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/23°C

MBOMBELA
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 19/23°C

POLOKWANE
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/23°C

MAHIKENG
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/30°C

VRYBURG
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/33°C

BLOEMFONTEIN
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 14/27°C

KIMBERLEY
Partly cloudy becoming cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/32°C

UPINGTON
Partly cloudy.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/34°C

CAPE TOWN
Fine.
Wind: Light and variable in the morning, becoming moderate to fresh southerly from the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/26°C
The expected UVB Sunburn Index: Extreme

GEORGE
Partly cloudy in the early morning and from the evening, otherwise fine.
Wind: Light to moderate easterly to south-easterly but fresh in the afternoon, becoming light and variable from the evening.
Minimum/Maximum: 15/24°C

GQEBERHA
Partly cloudy.
Wind: Fresh to strong easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/24°C

EAST LONDON
Cloudy with scattered showers and rain.
Wind: Moderate north-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/23°C

DURBAN
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Wind: Light to moderate southerly to south-easterly, becoming easterly to north-easterly late afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/24°C
The expected UVB Sunburn Index: Moderate

RICHARDS BAY
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Wind: Moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly, becoming light south-easterly from late afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 22/25°C

PIETERMARITZBURG
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/20°C

This forecast may change and updates issued more than once a day.


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