WEDNESDAY WEATHER: A thunderstorm warning for the Western Cape and Eastern Cape and widespread rainfall in places

By Staff Writer
Published: 3 February 2026 [updated 4 February]

This forecast is for: Wed 04 February 2026
The maps cover: Wed 04 Feb – Wed 04 Feb


The latest forecast is available by clicking here.

From Wednesday it should be partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers possible over most parts of the country, but particularly in the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.

A heat wave with persistently high temperatures is expected in places over the Free State and the northern parts of the Eastern Cape.

Fog is possible in a few regions of the country on Wednesday morning.

A cut-off low pressure system dominating to the south-west of the country, associated with a surface trough over the western interior is expected to produce severe thunderstorms over the Beaufort West municipality of the Western Cape on Wednesday and over the Garden Route district on Thursday.

Warnings from the SA Weather Service for Wednesday:

A. level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours leading to localised flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas and bridges as well as damaging winds, excessive lightning and hail resulting in damage to infrastructure and settlements in places over the eastern part of the Western Cape and much of the Eastern Cape, except along the coast to the west of East London.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the central parts of Northern Cape and the south-western parts of North West.

Regional forecasts from the SA Weather Service for Wednesday:

GAUTENG
Partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers.

MPUMALANGA
Morning fog in places over the Highveld and escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the east.

LIMPOPO
Morning fog patches over the south-central parts, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the eastern Lowveld and the extreme southwest.

NORTH-WEST
Partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the extreme eastern parts.

THE FREE STATE
Partly cloudy hot to very hot with isolated showers and thundershowers.

THE NORTHERN CAPE
Partly cloudy and hot to very hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the extreme south-west. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southwesterly.

THE WESTERN CAPE
Partly cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the west. It will be cloudy along the south coast. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southeasterly to easterly.

THE WESTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Morning fog over the extreme eastern parts, otherwise cloudy and hot to very hot with scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the extreme north-east where it will be partly cloudy. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southeasterly, reaching strong in places in the east in the afternoon.

THE EASTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Morning fog along the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot with scattered showers and thundershowers. It will be cloudy along the coast and adjacent interior. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate easterly.

KWAZULU-NATAL
Morning fog in places over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers in the south and west. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate easterly to north-easterly, becoming fresh in the afternoon.

Travellers forecasts from the SA Weather Service for Wednesday:

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

JOHANNESBURG
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/31°C

VEREENIGING
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/31°C

MBOMBELA
Morning fog patches, otherwise partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 19/29°C

POLOKWANE
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/29°C

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

VRYBURG
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/35°C

BLOEMFONTEIN
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/37°C

KIMBERLEY
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 22/38°C

UPINGTON
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 25/40°C

CAPE TOWN
Cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Wind: Light to moderate southerly to south-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 21/31°C

GEORGE
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Wind: light to moderate south-easterly to easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/25°C

GQEBERHA
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Wind: moderate to fresh easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 22/29°C

EAST LONDON
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Wind: Light north-easterly, freshening late morning.
Minimum/Maximum: 22/30°C

DURBAN
Partly cloudy.
Wind: moderate to fresh easterly to north-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 24/32°C

RICHARDS BAY
Partly cloudy.
Wind: Moderate to fresh northerly to north-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 22/33°C

PIETERMARITZBURG
Morning fog, otherwise partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/34°C

This forecast is usually updated a few times per day.



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