Daily Snow Report: three fire danger warnings hit on the same day

Friday, 21 August’s Daily Snow Report shows most of the country holding onto a fine, warm pattern, but this is the second day running where SAWS has flagged fire danger as the real story beneath the surface.

The Northern Cape faces extremely high fire danger conditions in the eastern parts.

The Free State faces extremely high fire danger conditions in the southern parts.

The Eastern Cape faces extremely high fire danger conditions in the northern parts, as well as specifically over the Enoch Mgijima, Emalahleni and Senqu Local Municipalities.

The North West faces extremely high fire danger conditions over the Kagisano-Molopo Local Municipality.

REMEMBER | Daily Snow Report: the fire risk that’s building while the rest of the country cools off

Outside of those fire danger zones, Friday continues the broader settled pattern the country’s seen for most of the week, though a foggy start is on the cards in several places before it clears.

According to SAWS, fine and warm conditions dominate the interior

According to SAWS, Gauteng and the North West can both expect a fine, warm day. 

Mpumalanga starts with morning fog along the escarpment before clearing to fine and warm,

Limpopo sees morning fog over its central parts before the same fine, warm pattern takes over.

The Free State stays fine, cool to warm.

Where fog, cloud and the coast come in

The Northern Cape starts cloudy with fog over the central and western interior in the morning, otherwise fine, cool to warm, turning partly cloudy in the east from the evening, with a “high” UVB sunburn index in effect. 

KwaZulu-Natal and the Mpumalanga escarpment carry a chance of isolated showers as part of the broader partly cloudy pattern moving over the central and eastern parts of the country.

The Western Cape and Eastern Cape both start with pockets of morning fog and cloud over the southern interior before clearing through the day, with Vox Weather flagging a windy afternoon likely over much of the interior nationally.

Why three fire danger warnings on one day is worth noting

Seeing fire danger flagged across four provinces at once, rather than just one or two municipalities, is a step up from what we’ve tracked over the past few days.

It’s a reminder that a broadly fine, warm forecast can still carry real risk underneath it, especially for anyone living or farming in the affected areas.

It’s hectic watching this fire danger picture grow wider by the day instead of easing off, hey.

Would three fire danger warnings on the same day change how you’d plan your Friday?

Let us know in the comments below, Mzansi…

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