Cape town: The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a warning that the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces are set to experience very cold, wet, and windy conditions on Thursday. The weather disturbance is attributed to a high-pressure system that will be ridging behind a cold front, impacting the south-eastern regions of Namakwa, as well as the Cape Winelands, Central Karoo, and Little Karoo municipalities.
According to South African Government News Agency, the weather service has advised the public to take necessary precautions to ensure the safety and health of their animals during this period. The Western Cape is also expected to face damaging winds starting Thursday and continuing until Sunday. The high-pressure system will result in significant wave activity along the coastline, with south-westerly waves measuring between 4.0m and 6.0m and wave periods of 10-13 seconds. These conditions are expected to affect areas from Saldanha Bay to Cape Agulhas on Thursday morning, eventually spreading to Plettenberg Bay and Alexander Bay in the afternoon, with a gradual subsidence from Friday morning. Wind speeds along the southwestern and southern coastlines are expected to reach between 40-60 km/h.
KwaZulu-Natal is also bracing for damaging winds along the east coast from Thursday to Friday. The passage of a cold front will bring strong southerly to south-westerly winds, with average speeds of 25-35 knots and gusts reaching 35-40 knots between Port Edward and Mtunzini, extending to Kosi Bay by Friday. These conditions are likely to cause difficulties for vessels at sea, with small vessels at risk of taking on water and capsizing, as well as disruptions to beachfront activities.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape province has been alerted to potential disruptions due to snow on Thursday. Light snow, accompanied by surface temperatures below freezing, is expected to follow the cold front. Although snow accumulation will be minimal, icing on road surfaces is anticipated due to low temperatures on higher ground, potentially leading to traffic disruptions at night. Damaging winds are also forecasted for the east coast of the Eastern Cape from Thursday to Friday, with strong to gale-force winds expected to elevate sea conditions, causing localized disruptions to harbors, ports, and beach activities. These conditions pose a danger to life and increase the risk of small vessels capsizing.