WEATHER TODAY: Heat wave lifts Richards Bay to 41°C, Pietermaritzburg hits 38°C
Richards Bay is the hottest place in the country at 41°C as a heat wave holds northern KwaZulu-Natal, with heat in places over the northern Eastern Cape and the Mpumalanga Highveld too. Extremely high fire danger covers most of the central interior, with a veld fire warning from 10:00 to 18:59 for Musina, Thohoyandou, Nelspruit and Skukuza. Cape Town is the wettest spot, with a 60% chance of slight rain and a high of 18°C.
Weather warnings for Saturday 17 October
SAWS has 3 weather warnings in force for Saturday, the highest warning level 10 for veld fire conditions. Tap a warning to see the areas and what to do.
Red level 10
Veld Fire Conditions
Where
Dendron, Thohoyandou, Skukuza, Piet Retief + 52 more
When
Sat 10:00 to 18:59
Veld Fire Conditions
Where
Dendron, Thohoyandou, Skukuza, Piet Retief + 52 more
When
Sat 10:00 to 18:59
Areas: Dendron, Thohoyandou, Skukuza, Piet Retief, Nelspruit, Musina, Alldays, Lephalale, Postmasburg, De Aar, Schweizer-Reneke, Griquastad, Hoopstad, Aliwal North, Groblershoop, Prieska, Kathu, Warrenton, Bloemhof, Hopetown, Bloemfontein Airport, Fauresmith, Kimberley, Hotazel, Victoria West, Brandfort, Wepener, Daniëlskuil, Tosca, Upington and 26 more.
- Conditions are such that the FDI index is above 75 in identified areas. Under these conditions, fires may develop and spread rapidly, resulting in damage to property and possible loss of human and/or animal life.
What to do: Fire teams, labour and equipment are to be placed on full stand-by. At first sign of smoke, every possible measure should be taken in order to bring the fire under control in the shortest possible time. All available aircraft are to be called for without delay.
Warning Advisory
Weather Advisory
Where
Matatiele, Mount Ayliff, Molteno, Queenstown + 15 more
When
valid until 23:59 on 17 October
Weather Advisory
Where
Matatiele, Mount Ayliff, Molteno, Queenstown + 15 more
When
valid until 23:59 on 17 October
Areas: Matatiele, Mount Ayliff, Molteno, Queenstown, Grahamstown, Libode, Lady Frere, Tsolo, Elliot, Lusikisiki, Tarkastad, Stutterheim, Cofimvaba, Ntabankulu, Dutywa, Maclear, Bizana, Ngcobo, Cradock.
- High discomfort
- Heat exhaustion
- Dehydration.
- Heat related illnesses
What to do: Drink lots of liquids and stay in shaded/cool areas with lots of ventilation. Avoid strenuous activities. Avoid exposure during the hottest time of the day. Do not keep elderly and children inside the cars. Seek help if you feel dizzy, weak, having intense thirst and headaches.
Warning Advisory
Weather Advisory
Where
Standerton, Skukuza, Piet Retief, Barberton + 1 more
When
valid until 23:59 on 19 October
Weather Advisory
Where
Standerton, Skukuza, Piet Retief, Barberton + 1 more
When
valid until 23:59 on 19 October
Areas: Standerton, Skukuza, Piet Retief, Barberton, Nelspruit.
- Persistently high temperatures affect the humans ability to cool their bodies through sweating. This can be a real threat that leads to heat related illness such as hyperthermia, heat stroke and respiratory conditions.
- In an extremely hot environment, the serious health and safety concern is heat stroke.
What to do: – stay hydrated, limit outdoor activities during the hottest time of the day, wear appropriate clothing, and keep an eye on vulnerable Individuals.
SAWS advisory
Fire Danger Warnings
What
1 item, tap to read
Fire Danger Warnings
What
1 item, tap to read
- Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over most of the central interior, most parts of northern KwaZulu-Natal, in places in the Mpumalanga Lowveld as well as the Limpopo Valley and Western Bushveld.
SAWS advisory
Advisories
What
2 items, tap to read
Advisories
What
2 items, tap to read
- A heat wave with persistently high temperatures is expected in places over the northern parts of Eastern Cape and over the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal until Saturday as well as in places over the Mpumalanga Highveld and southern parts of the Mpumalanga Lowveld until Monday (19/10/2026).
- Hot to extremely hot conditions resulting in extremely uncomfortable conditions are expected in the north-eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga Lowveld and over Limpopo on Monday.
Moon tonight
Waxing Crescent
41% lit
The moon tonight is a waxing crescent, about 41% lit, and the next full moon is on Monday 26 October.
Weather today by province, Saturday 17 October
Each province lists its main towns with today’s sky, low and high, rain chance and wind; every province starts closed, tap one to open it. Tide times are inside Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Today Johannesburg peaks at 32°C.
Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto, Vereeniging
Johannesburg and Soweto climb to 32°C with a 30% chance of showers and thundershowers, Vereeniging sees thunderstorms at 32°C and Pretoria stays dry and partly cloudy at 33°C after a 19°C start.
Johannesburg today
Rain, storms32°15°30%NNW 5 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Gauteng
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Gauteng
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | Rain, storms | 15° | 32° | 30% | NNW 5 |
| Pretoria | Partly cloudy | 19° | 33° | 0% | NE 5 |
| Soweto | Rain, storms | 13° | 32° | 30% | NNW 5 |
| Vereeniging | Thunderstorms | 13° | 32° | 30% | NNW 10 |
Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Paarl, George · tides
Stellenbosch, Paarl and Cape Town top out at 18°C with a 60% chance of slight rain, while George reaches 20°C with a 30% chance of rain showers.
Cape Town today
Slight rain18°14°60%SSE 15 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Western Cape
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Western Cape
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | Slight rain | 14° | 18° | 60% | SSE 15 |
| Stellenbosch | Slight rain | 12° | 18° | 60% | WSW 5 |
| Paarl | Slight rain | 13° | 18° | 60% | NW 5 |
| George | Rain showers | 14° | 20° | 30% | S 10 |
Tides: Cape Town
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 17 Oct | 00:18, 12:45 | 06:49, 18:53 |
Mpumalanga and Limpopo next today: Mbombela reaches 34°C and Polokwane reaches 33°C.
Mbombela, eMalahleni, Ermelo
A veld fire warning runs from 10:00 to 18:59 for Nelspruit, Skukuza and Piet Retief, and a weather advisory for Standerton and Barberton lasts until 23:59 on Monday. Mbombela reaches 34°C, eMalahleni 31°C and Ermelo 32°C with thunderstorms.
Mbombela today
Clear34°18°0%NE 10 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Mpumalanga
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Mpumalanga
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mbombela | Clear | 18° | 34° | 0% | NE 10 |
| eMalahleni | Partly cloudy | 16° | 31° | 0% | NW 5 |
| Ermelo | Thunderstorms | 15° | 32° | 30% | WNW 5 |
Polokwane, Tzaneen, Thohoyandou, Musina
Musina is the hottest at 37°C and Thohoyandou reaches 35°C, both under a veld fire warning from 10:00 to 18:59. Polokwane hits 33°C and Tzaneen 34°C, with clear skies and no rain.
Polokwane today
Clear33°16°0%NE 10 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Limpopo
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Limpopo
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polokwane | Clear | 16° | 33° | 0% | NE 10 |
| Tzaneen | Clear | 16° | 34° | 0% | ENE 10 |
| Thohoyandou | Clear | 17° | 35° | 0% | E 5 |
| Musina | Clear | 20° | 37° | 0% | E 10 |
North West and Free State follow today: Mahikeng reaches 35°C and Bloemfontein reaches 35°C.
Mahikeng, Rustenburg, Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp
Mahikeng, Rustenburg and Klerksdorp reach 35°C and Potchefstroom 33°C, with a 30% chance of showers and thundershowers everywhere except Mahikeng, which stays partly cloudy and dry.
Mahikeng today
Partly cloudy35°16°0%NNE 10 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close North West
Tap for cities and townsTap to close North West
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahikeng | Partly cloudy | 16° | 35° | 0% | NNE 10 |
| Rustenburg | Rain, storms | 19° | 35° | 30% | N 5 |
| Potchefstroom | Rain, storms | 15° | 33° | 30% | NNW 15 |
| Klerksdorp | Rain, storms | 15° | 35° | 30% | NNW 10 |
Bloemfontein, Bethlehem, Kroonstad
Bethlehem starts at a cool 10°C and climbs to 32°C, while Bloemfontein and Kroonstad reach 35°C, all with a 30% chance of showers and thundershowers.
Bloemfontein today
Rain, storms35°14°30%NW 15 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Free State
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Free State
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloemfontein | Rain, storms | 14° | 35° | 30% | NW 15 |
| Bethlehem | Rain, storms | 10° | 32° | 30% | NW 5 |
| Kroonstad | Rain, storms | 15° | 35° | 30% | NNW 10 |
Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal close the list today: Kimberley reaches 36°C, Gqeberha reaches 23°C and Durban reaches 29°C.
Kimberley, Upington, Springbok, De Aar · tides
Kimberley is hot at 36°C with a 30% chance of showers and thundershowers, Upington reaches 34°C and De Aar 33°C, while Springbok stays milder at 25°C under high cloud.
Kimberley today
Rain, storms36°17°30%NW 15 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Northern Cape
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Northern Cape
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberley | Rain, storms | 17° | 36° | 30% | NW 15 |
| Upington | Partly cloudy | 18° | 34° | 0% | SSW 10 |
| Springbok | High cloud | 14° | 25° | 0% | SW 10 |
| De Aar | Partly cloudy | 18° | 33° | 0% | WNW 20 |
Tides: Port Nolloth (modelled)
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 17 Oct | 12:13 | 06:17, 18:36 |
Gqeberha, East London, Mthatha, Queenstown · tides
A weather advisory runs until 23:59 for Queenstown, Matatiele, Molteno, Grahamstown, Mount Ayliff and Libode. Queenstown reaches 34°C and Mthatha 30°C with possible thundershowers, while Gqeberha and East London reach 23°C with slight rain.
Gqeberha today
Slight rain23°15°30%WSW 10 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Eastern Cape
Tap for cities and townsTap to close Eastern Cape
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gqeberha | Slight rain | 15° | 23° | 30% | WSW 10 |
| East London | Slight rain | 17° | 23° | 30% | WSW 15 |
| Mthatha | Rain, storms | 16° | 30° | 30% | SE 10 |
| Queenstown | Rain, storms | 14° | 34° | 30% | ESE 10 |
Tides: Gqeberha
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 17 Oct | 00:23, 12:38 | 06:47, 18:46 |
Tides: East London
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 17 Oct | 00:25, 12:38 | 06:37, 18:35 |
Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, Newcastle · tides
Clear skies send Richards Bay to 41°C on the heat wave's last day, while Pietermaritzburg reaches 38°C and Newcastle 36°C. Durban peaks at 29°C after a 22°C start, with a 30% chance of slight rain.
Durban today
Slight rain29°22°30%SSE 15 km/h
Tap for cities and townsTap to close KwaZulu-Natal
Tap for cities and townsTap to close KwaZulu-Natal
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durban | Slight rain | 22° | 29° | 30% | SSE 15 |
| Pietermaritzburg | Slight rain | 17° | 38° | 30% | ESE 10 |
| Richards Bay | Clear | 20° | 41° | 0% | N 10 |
| Newcastle | Cloudy | 15° | 36° | 0% | ENE 10 |
Tides: Durban
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 17 Oct | 00:21, 12:30 | 06:32, 18:36 |
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