THURSDAY WEATHER: Very hot in the Northern Cape and thunderstorm warnings for six provinces

By Staff Writer
Published: 7 January 2026 [updated 8 January]

This forecast is for: Thu 08 January 2026
The maps cover: Thu 08 Jan – Thu 08 Jan


The latest forecast is available by clicking here.

Partly cloudy and cool to warm conditions are expected over the central and eastern parts of the country on Thursday, with isolated showers and thundershowers anticipated from the afternoon. Otherwise, fine and hot to very hot.

Warnings from the SA Weather Service for Thursday:

A. level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours leading to localised flooding of susceptible roads, settlements, low-lying bridges/areas, strong damaging winds, hail and excessive lightning over parts of North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal as per the updated map above.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over most parts of the Northern Cape, in places over the western parts of the Free State and the Eastern Cape, as well as the central and north-eastern parts of the Western Cape.

Regional forecasts from the SA Weather Service for Thursday:

GAUTENG
Partly cloudy and warm but hot in the extreme north with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers.

MPUMALANGA
Partly cloudy and cool to warm with scattered afternoon showers and thundershowers but isolated in the Lowveld

LIMPOPO
Partly cloudy and warm with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers but scattered in places in the east.

NORTH-WEST
Partly cloudy with isolated thundershowers over the central and eastern parts, otherwise fine and hot.

THE FREE STATE
Fine over the western parts, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers in the east but scattered in the extreme east.

THE NORTHERN CAPE
Fine and hot. The wind along the coast will be moderate southerly to south-easterly, becoming fresh south-westerly from the afternoon.

THE WESTERN CAPE
Fine and hot to very hot, but warm in places along the Cape Peninsula. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh westerly to south-westerly, but easterly to north-easterly along the south.

THE WESTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Fine and hot to very hot, but warm along the coast. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate north-easterly a first, otherwise fresh south-westerly

THE EASTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Cloudy south of the escarpment in the morning with light rain in places along the Wild Coast and adjacent interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated afternoon thundershowers in the east. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh north-easterly, becoming south-westerly overnight.

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

Travellers forecasts from the SA Weather Service for Thursday:

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

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

VEREENIGING
Partly cloudy with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/29°C

MBOMBELA
Partly cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/29°C

POLOKWANE
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/30°C

MAHIKENG
Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 19/32°C

VRYBURG
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 19/33°C

BLOEMFONTEIN
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 15/34°C

KIMBERLEY
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 19/37°C

UPINGTON
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/38°C

CAPE TOWN
Fine.
Wind: Moderate to north-westerly to westerly.
Minimum/Maximum: 17/25°C

GEORGE
Fine.
Wind: Light and variable but moderate south-westerly by the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 15/29°C

GQEBERHA
Fine.
Wind: Light north-easterly, becoming moderate to fresh south-westerly in the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/29°C

EAST LONDON
Cloudy, becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon.
Wind: Moderate to fresh north-easterly, becoming south-westerly overnight.
Minimum/Maximum: 18/28°C

DURBAN
Cloudy in the morning, otherwise partly cloudy with isolated showers and rain.
Wind: Light southerly to south-westerly becoming moderate northerly to north-easterly from mid-morning, reaching fresh in the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/28°C

RICHARDS BAY
Cloudy in the morning, otherwise partly cloudy with isolated showers and rain.
Wind: Light southerly to south-westerly until late morning, otherwise light to moderate northerly to north-easterly, reaching fresh in the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum: 21/33°C

PIETERMARITZBURG
Morning fog patches, otherwise partly cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/32°C

This forecast is usually updated a few times per day.



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