Snowfall, flooding, freezing temperatures and severe winds are expected to batter most of the country starting Saturday.
The colder-than-usual nip in the air South Africans have been feeling is a sign of days to come.
The South African Weather Service (Saws) has warned of a spell of extreme weather starting this weekend, with snowfall possible in all provinces except Limpopo.
Cut-off low system
“In the coming days, a particularly intense Cut-Off Low (COL) system, associated with severe and extreme winter weather, is expected to affect South Africa, persisting over the country until at least the middle of next week over the eastern provinces,” Saws said in a statement on Thursday.
“Early on Saturday morning, 7 June, this system will begin affecting the Western and Northern Cape. By Monday, 9 June 2025, and Tuesday, 10 June 2025, this extensive and severe winter weather system will have shifted further east over South Africa, affecting the central and eastern provinces.”
Significant drop in temperatures
According to the weather service, a significant and dramatic drop in daytime temperatures can be expected over the six provinces.
Farmers of small stock are strongly advised to implement appropriate measures to prevent stock losses due to exposure to the bitter cold and wind.
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Some of the more extreme weather impacts associated with this system include the following:
- Snowfall over almost every province, except Limpopo, which could be disruptive, affecting traffic flow over mountain passes like on the N3 highway at Van Reenen’s Pass on Monday and Tuesday.
- Strong, damaging surface winds over large parts of the interior provinces from Sunday that could lead to an elevated risk of wildfires, especially over the central and eastern interior, ahead of the cold change. These conditions are expected to persist over some of the eastern provinces until Wednesday.
- Strong to near-gale force coastal winds and very rough seas along the south-west coast from Friday, which are expected to spread to the south and east coasts during Saturday, lasting until at least Tuesday along the east coast.
- Heavy rainfall that could lead to localised flooding and infrastructure damage over parts of the Eastern Cape coast and adjacent interior on Sunday, shifting to southern KwaZulu-Natal on Monday.
- Bitterly cold daytime conditions over many provinces from Sunday, with maximum temperatures unlikely to exceed 10 °C. These conditions will be exacerbated by strong, gusty winds.
- A risk of severe thunderstorms possibly associated with damaging hail and/or damaging winds over some provinces, including the North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, during Monday and Tuesday.
Warning for Comrades runners
Saws says the thousands of runners who will be participating in the Comrades 2025 ultramarathon on Sunday can expect predominantly mild to warm and windy conditions, with partly cloudy to cloudy skies.
“However, runners should be aware of a cool change in the weather later in the day when a coastal low and cold front are expected to move northwards up the KwaZulu-Natal coast, introducing colder, more moist conditions to the coast and adjacent interior,” Saws warned.
There will also be a risk of showers or thunderstorms developing over the Drakensberg, spreading to the coast in the evening.
Light snowfall in Gauteng and Mpumalanga
Gauteng and the Highveld region of Mpumalanga may experience light snowfall on Monday night, extending into Tuesday.
“However, at this stage there is significant uncertainty amongst the various numeric weather prediction models in this regard,” Saws said.
“The South African Weather Service will continue to monitor any further developments relating to the expected weather systems and will issue subsequent updates as required.”
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