THURSDAY WEATHER: Six warnings including multiple LEVEL 4s – disruptive rain, thunderstorms, wind and waves

By Staff Writer
Published: 2 September 2026

This forecast is for: Thu 03 September 2026
The maps cover: Thu 03 Sep – Fri 04 Sep


An intense cut-off low (COL) pressure system is expected to develop over the south-western parts of the Western Cape on Thursday, resulting in scattered to widespread showers. Rainfall accumulations of 20-40mm are expected over these areas, reaching 50-70mm in the mountainous regions.

Cold to very cold, wet and windy conditions can be expected in places over the Namakwa District of the Northern Cape and the interior of the Western Cape on Friday.

Note that there are two impact warning maps for Thursday. We will also be updating our dedicated snow forecast later on Wednesday.

Warnings from the SA Weather Service:

A. level 4 warning for damaging wind and waves leading to disruption of ports/harbours, danger to navigation at sea between Alexander Bay and Plettenburg Bay until Friday. Strong to near gale force southerly to south-easterly winds of 45-65km/h (gusting 70-82km/h) and wave heights reaching 4.0 to 5.0m are expected, causing rough and choppy sea conditions.

B. level 4 warning for damaging winds leading to interruptions to power, communication and/or other utilities and services, damage to settlement, injuries and danger to life from flying debris, problems for high-sided vehicles on prone routes due to cross winds over the Namakwa district (Northern Cape), the Cape Winelands and the Central Karoo districts (Western Cape) until Friday. Strong to near gale force (50-64 km/h) winds are expected from Thursday afternoon reaching gale force (65-82 km/h) from Friday morning. Wind gusts of 80-100 km/h are possible in places over Namakwa on Friday.

C. level 4 warning for disruptive rainfall leading to flooding of roads and settlements and major disruption of traffic flow over the eastern parts of the Overberg district, the Garden Route, Langeberg and Laingsburg municipalities of the Western Cape.

D. level 2 warning for disruptive rainfall leading to localised flooding of settlements, roads, low-lying areas and bridges in places along the south coast and the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape.

E. level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms leading to localized wind and hail damages to structures, falling trees and local fire incidents due to excessive lightning over the western parts of the Free State.

F. level 2 warning for damaging winds leading to damage to temporary structures, damage to settlements, transport routes and travel services affected by wind over the western parts of Western Cape from the afternoon into Friday as well as over the northern interior of Eastern Cape.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the central parts of the country, including most parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

Regional forecasts from the SA Weather Service:

GAUTENG
Fine and warm.

MPUMALANGA
Fine and warm but hot in places in the Lowveld.

LIMPOPO
Fine and warm but hot in places in the Lowveld and Limpopo Valley.

NORTH-WEST
Partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers except the extreme east.

THE FREE STATE
Partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers.

THE NORTHERN CAPE
Partly cloudy, windy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers in the west and extreme south but isolated in the eastern and southern parts. It will be cool to cold in the west. The wind along the coast will be moderate north-westerly, becoming fresh to strong south-easterly from mid-afternoon.

THE WESTERN CAPE
Cloudy, windy and cool to cold with scattered showers and rain but widespread along the south coast and adjacent interior. Near-gale force winds are possible along the south-west and west coastlines as well as over the Central Karoo from the afternoon. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate easterly to north-easterly along the west and south-west coast in the morning, otherwise fresh to strong south-easterly reaching near gale force along the south-west and west coast from the afternoon.

THE WESTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Warm in places in the north, otherwise cloudy and cool with widespread showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the north. The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong southerly, but south-easterly in the afternoon.

THE EASTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Fine and warm, becoming cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread along the coast and adjacent interior, south of Coffee Bay. The wind along the coast will be moderate south-westerly, becoming fresh southerly in the afternoon.

KWAZULU-NATAL
Cloudy with morning fog along the south coast and adjacent interior, otherwise fine and warm to hot but very hot in places the east. It will become partly cloudy to cloudy in the south by the evening with isolated showers and thundershowers in the extreme south. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate northerly to north-easterly, reaching fresh in the north at times, becoming fresh to strong southerly to south-westerly south of Richards Bay by the evening.

Travellers forecasts from the SA Weather Service:

PRETORIA
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 11/27°C

JOHANNESBURG
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 9/26°C

VEREENIGING
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 11/26°C

MBOMBELA
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 14/28°C

POLOKWANE
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 11/28°C

MAHIKENG
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 11/29°C

VRYBURG
Partly cloudy and windy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 12/30°C

BLOEMFONTEIN
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 10/28°C

KIMBERLEY
Partly cloudy and windy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 15/29°C

UPINGTON
Partly cloudy and windy.
Minimum/Maximum: 14/21°C

CAPE TOWN
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers from late morning.
Wind: Light easterly to north-easterly in the morning, becoming strong to near gale-force south-easterly from the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 12/16°C

GEORGE
Cloudy with widespread showers and rain.
Wind: Light westerly in the morning, becoming fresh to strong south-easterly from the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 12/15°C

GQEBERHA
Cloudy with widespread showers and rain.
Wind: Moderate to fresh south-easterly, becoming strong in the evening.
Minimum/Maximum: 13/18°C

KuGOMPO CITY
Partly cloudy, becoming cloudy with widespread showers and rain.
Wind: Moderate south-westerly, becoming strong southerly in the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/22°C

DURBAN
Morning fog, otherwise fine.
Wind: Light to moderate northerly to north-easterly, becoming fresh to strong southerly to south-westerly by the evening.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/36°C

RICHARDS BAY
Fine.
Wind: Light to moderate northerly to north-easterly, reaching fresh in the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/37°C

PIETERMARITZBURG
Fine, becoming partly cloudy.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/35°C

This forecast is usually updated a few times per day.



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