Level 4 warnings – strong wind and damaging waves from Friday as a cold front arrives in west

By Staff Writer
Published: 8 May 2025 [updated 9 May]

This forecast is for: Fri 09 May 2025
The maps cover: Fri 09 May – Sun 11 May

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A cold front is expected to result in strong to gale force (39-75 km/h) north-westerly to westerly winds with gusts of about 75-88 km/h to persist over the Western Cape coastal and adjacent interior between Table Bay and Plettenberg Bay from Friday evening until Saturday evening. The wind will start to moderate from the west from Saturday afternoon.

The high pressure system south-west of the country behind the cold front is expected to result in heightened waves with heights of 4-6 metres between Cape Columbine and Plettenberg Bay on Saturday into Sunday morning.
Very cold, wet and windy conditions are expected over the Karoo Hoogland Northern Cape and the Witzenberg Western Cape municipalities on Saturday.

Strong to gale force north-westerly winds are expected in Places over Chris Hani and Joe Gqabi district municipalities on Saturday, while westerly to south-westerly winds accompanied with very rough seas are expected in places along the coast between Plettenberg Bay and Peddie from Saturday into Sunday.

SEE ALSO: Light snowfall possible in the Western Cape this weekend.

Warnings from the SA Weather Service for Friday:

A. level 4 warning for damaging winds leading to difficulty in navigation at sea and possible damage to informal settlements is expected between Table Bay and Plettenberg Bay until Saturday.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the interior of the Namakwa District of the Northern Cape as well as over the Central Karoo, Kannaland Municipality of the Western Cape and the Raymond Mhlaba and Dr Beyers Naude Municipalities of the Eastern Cape.

Regional forecasts from SAWS for Friday:

1. GAUTENG
Fine and cool.
The expected UVB sunburn index: Very High

2. MPUMALANGA
Fine and cool but warm in the Lowveld.

3. LIMPOPO
Fine and warm but hot in the places in the Lowveld.

4. NORTH-WEST PROVINCE
Fine and cool to warm.

5. FREE STATE
Fine and cool and windy over the south-western parts.

6. EASTERN PARTS OF THE NORTHERN CAPE
Fine and cool to warm and wind over the central and eastern parts. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate south-easterly, becoming fresh northerly to north-westerly from the evening.

7. WESTERN CAPE
Morning fog patches over the southern and western parts, otherwise fine and cool to warm but partly cloudy along the coast. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh northerly to north-westerly, becoming strong to gale from the evening along the south-west coast but light to moderate south-westerly along the south coast.
The expected UVB sunburn index: Moderate

8. WESTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Cloudy with fog in places in the south in the morning, otherwise fine and warm to hot. The wind along the coast will be light northerly, becoming easterly east of St Francis but becoming moderate to fresh south-westerly in the west spreading east in the evening.

9. EASTERN HALF OF THE EASTERN CAPE
Cloudy with fog in places south of escarpment in the morning, otherwise, fine and cool to warm but hot in places in the south-west. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate northerly to north-easterly.

10. KWAZULU-NATAL
Cloudy in the morning in the east and central interior, otherwise fine and coolto warm. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate to fresh northerly to north-easterly, reaching fresh to strong in the afternoon.
The expected UVB sunburn index: High

Travellers forecasts from SAWS for Friday:

PRETORIA
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 13/24°C
The expected UVB Sunburn Index: Very High

JOHANNESBURG
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 11/22°C

VEREENIGING
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 9/25°C

MBOMBELA
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 14/26°C

POLOKWANE
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 7/26°C

MAHIKENG
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 8/25°C

VRYBURG
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 7/25°C

BLOEMFONTEIN
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 8/24°C

KIMBERLEY
Fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 10/25°C

UPINGTON
Fine and windy.
Minimum/Maximum: 11/28°C

CAPE TOWN
Morning fog patches, otherwise partly cloudy.
Wind: Moderate to fresh north-westerly.
Minimum/Maximum: 13/21°C
The expected UVB Sunburn Index: Moderate

GEORGE
Morning fog, otherwise partly cloudy.
Wind: Light and variable.
Minimum/Maximum: 10/20°C

GQEBERHA
Cloudy with fog patches in places in the morning, otherwise fine.
Wind: Light northerly to north-easterly becoming but moderate to fresh south-westerly by the evening.
Minimum/Maximum: 13/29°C

EAST LONDON
Cloudy with fog patches in places in the morning, otherwise fine.
Wind: Light to moderate north-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 16/29°C

DURBAN
Partly cloudy in the morning, otherwise fine.
Wind: Moderate to fresh north-easterly.
Minimum/Maximum: 20/28°C
The expected UVB Sunburn Index: High

RICHARDS BAY
Partly cloudy in the morning, otherwise fine.
Wind: Moderate to fresh northerly to north-easterly, reaching strong in the evening.
Minimum/Maximum: 19/28°C

PIETERMARITZBURG
Partly cloudy in the morning, otherwise fine.
Minimum/Maximum: 13/28°C

This forecast is usually updated a few times per day.

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