FRIDAY WEATHER: Nine warnings including a LEVEL 5 for severe thunderstorms, and disruptive rain, damaging wind & snow

By Staff Writer
Published: 3 September 2026

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


An intense cut-off low (COL) pressure system is expected to result in significant weather impacts from Thursday this week.

Wet and windy conditions are expected over most parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

Very cold conditions are expected in places over Chris Hani and Joe Gqabi district municipalities of the Eastern Cape.

Very cold, wet and windy conditions can be expected in places over the Namakwa (Northern Cape) and the interior of the Western Cape.

SEE ALSO: Snow on the radar for South Africa and Lesotho from Thursday.

Warnings from the SA Weather Service:

A. level 5 warning for severe thunderstorms leading to flooding of settlements (formal/informal), roads and bridges, wind and hail damages to structures, falling trees and disruption to municipal services due excessive lightning over the east-central parts of the Northern Cape.

B. level 4 warning for severe thunderstorms leading to localized flooding of susceptible low-lying areas, roads and bridges, and wind and hail damages to structures, falling trees and disruption to municipal services due to excessive lightning over the central and eastern parts of Northern Cape, western parts of Free State, the extreme western parts of North West, as well as the southern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

C. 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 western parts of Northern Cape, the central and north-eastern parts of Western Cape, as well as most parts of KwaZulu-Natal with the exception of the south-west.

D. level 4 warning for damaging wind and waves leading to disruption of ports/harbours and danger to navigation at sea between Alexander Bay and Plettenberg Bay.

E. level 4 warning damaging winds leading to disruption of ports/harbours and danger to navigation at sea along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal.

F. level 2 warning for damaging waves leading to disruption of ports/harbours and danger to navigation at sea along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal.

G. level 2 warning for damaging winds leading to damages to temporary structures, settlements, transport routes and travel services affected by wind over the western and southern parts of Western Cape, north-western interior of Eastern Cape, as well as the souther and central parts of Mpumalanga.

H. level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms leading to localized wind and hail damages to structures, falling trees and disruption to municipal services due to excessive lightning over the eastern parts of free state, central and eastern parts of North-West, southern parts of Gauteng, and the south-western parts of Mpumalanga.

I. level 2 warning for disruptive rainfall leading to localised flooding of settlements, roads, low lying areas and bridges is expected over the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape.

Extremely high fire danger conditions over the eastern eastern parts of both Free State and North West, as well as the central and northern parts of Limpopo.

Regional forecasts from the SA Weather Service:

GAUTENG
Partly cloudy in the morning, otherwise cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers.

MPUMALANGA
Partly cloudy, becoming cloudy from the south in the afternoon with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the south-west. It will be warm, but hot in places in the Lowveld.

LIMPOPO
Partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, becoming cloudy from the west in the afternoon.

NORTH-WEST
Cloudy, windy and cool to warm, with scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers.

THE FREE STATE
Cloudy, windy and cold to cool, with scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers.

THE NORTHERN CAPE
Partly cloudy in the west where it will be cloudy at first with isolated showers and thundershowers over the western interior in the morning, otherwise cloudy and cool to cold with scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers over the central and eastern parts. The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong south-easterly.

THE WESTERN CAPE
Cloudy to and cool to cold with isolated showers and rain over the central and eastern parts in the morning, becoming partly cloudy in the west in the afternoon. The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong south-easterly.

THE WESTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Cloudy and cold with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated along the coast and adjacent interior. It will become partly cloudy in places from the afternoon. The wind along the coast will be fresh south-easterly, becoming moderate to fresh easterly from late morning.

THE EASTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Cloudy and cold with widespread showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the west. Light snowfall can be expected over the extreme north-eastern escarpment. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-easterly.

KWAZULU-NATAL
Partly cloudy to cloudy and cold to cool but warm in the north-east. Widespread showers and thundershowers are expected in the west and south, otherwise scattered. The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong southerly to south-westerly.

Travellers forecasts from the SA Weather Service:

PRETORIA
Partly cloudy becoming cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 13/26°C

JOHANNESBURG
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 09/23°C

VEREENIGING
Cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 12/24°C

MBOMBELA
Fine at first, otherwise partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers, becoming cloudy in the evening.
Minimum/Maximum: 13/26°C

POLOKWANE
Fine at first, otherwise partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers, becoming cloudy in the evening.
Minimum/Maximum: 10/30°C

MAHIKENG
Cloudy and windy, with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 13/24°C

VRYBURG
Partly cloudy, windy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 09/23°C

BLOEMFONTEIN
Cloudy and windy, with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 11/20°C

KIMBERLEY
Cloudy and windy, with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 11/21°C

UPINGTON
Cloudy and windy, with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 06/19°C

CAPE TOWN
Cloudy becoming partly cloudy.
Wind: Fresh to strong south-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 12/19°C

GEORGE
Cloudy with isolated showers and rain in the morning.
Wind: Fresh to strong south-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 13/15°C

GQEBERHA
Cloudy with isolated showers and rain, becoming partly cloudy from late morning.
Wind: Moderate to fresh easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 13/17°C

KuGOMPO CITY
Cloudy with scattered showers and rain, becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon.
Wind: Moderate to fresh south-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 15/18°C

DURBAN
Cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Wind: Fresh to strong southerly to south-westerly.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/21°C

RICHARDS BAY
Partly cloudy to cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Wind: Fresh to strong southerly to south-westerly.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/24°C

PIETERMARITZBURG
Partly cloudy until mid-morning, otherwise cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 12/17°C

This forecast is usually updated a few times per day.



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