Warm weather and thundershowers on Boxing Day

Thundershowers will continue on Friday, 26 December 2025, but it will be a mostly cloudy and warm day in SA.

Here is what the weather forecast for Boxing Day looks like, according to the South African Weather Service (Saws).

Weather warnings for 26 December

Impact-based warnings

The weather service has issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours in Gauteng, the eastern part of the Free State, southern part of Limpopo, in places in North West, and the Mpumalanga Escarpment and Highveld.

Expect flooding of susceptible roads, settlements and low-lying bridges or areas, excessive lightning and large amounts of small hail.

Fire danger warnings

Saws has warned of extremely high fire danger conditions in the Mangaung Local Municipality in the Free State, Matzikama Local Municipality in the Western Cape and in parts of the Northern Cape.

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Provincial weather forecast

Here’s what to expect in your province on 26 December:

Gauteng:

Residents can expect morning fog patches in the south. While it will be cloudy at first, the rest of the day will be partly cloudy and warm to hot, with scattered showers and thundershowers.

The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “high”.

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Mpumalanga:

Expect morning fog patches along the escarpment; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the Lowveld.

Limpopo:

It will be cloudy at first; otherwise, partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered over the southcentral parts.

North West:

Fine and warm to hot weather awaits North West residents, becoming partly cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the northeast.

Free State:

Residents can expect a fine and warm to hot day, becoming partly cloudy with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers, except over the extreme western parts.

Northern Cape:

It will be cloudy with fog over the western parts in the morning, where it will be warm. Otherwise, the day will be fine and hot to very hot, becoming partly cloudy in the east and central parts. Isolated showers and thundershowers are expected in the northeast.

Western Cape:

Expect cloudy conditions with fog along the west coast, but cool with light rain along the south coast in the morning. Otherwise, it will be a fine and warm to hot day.

The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “very high”.

Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.

Eastern Cape (western half):

It will be cloudy and cool with isolated showers of rain, but scattered along the coast. It will become partly cloudy and warm in the north.

Eastern Cape (eastern half):

Expect cloudy and cool weather with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers, except in the north.

KwaZulu-Natal:

There will be morning fog over the central and western interior; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and cool to warm, becoming cloudy from the afternoon with scattered showers and thundershowers.