Johannesburg: The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a Yellow Level 2 Warning for severe thunderstorms on Friday, 27 March 2026.
According to South African Government News Agency, the warning highlights the potential for localised flooding in low-lying areas, which may affect susceptible roads, bridges, infrastructure, informal settlements, property, vehicles, livelihoods, and livestock. The areas likely to be impacted include the central to eastern parts of the Northern Cape, northern parts of the Eastern Cape, the west to southern parts of KwaZulu-Natal, and most of the Free State, excluding the north.
Weather conditions across the country vary, with Gauteng expected to see partly cloudy and cool to warm conditions accompanied by isolated showers and thundershowers. Mpumalanga will experience partly cloudy weather, warm temperatures, and hot conditions in the Lowveld, along with isolated showers and thundershowers.
The Free State, Limpopo, and the North West are anticipated to have partly cloudy and warm weather with isolated showers and thundershowers. In the Northern Cape, partly cloudy to cloudy conditions are expected, with warm to hot temperatures and scattered to isolated showers and thundershowers, particularly widespread over the central interior.
The Western Cape is forecasted to have cloudy and warm to hot conditions with isolated showers and thundershowers over the eastern interior. The western half of the Eastern Cape will see partly cloudy conditions in certain areas, while other areas will be cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers. In the eastern half, coastal winds are predicted to be light to moderate northeasterly, strengthening in some areas during the afternoon.
KwaZulu-Natal is set to experience scattered showers and thundershowers, with coastal winds initially light and variable between Port Shepstone and Richards Bay, turning to light to moderate northerly to north-easterly later in the day.