WEATHER TODAY: Afternoon storms for Thabazimbi and Bela-Bela, Richards Bay 40°C

A Level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms covers south-western Limpopo from 15:00 to 20:59, with heavy downpours, damaging winds, hail and lightning possible around Mokopane, Lephalale and Mookgopong. A heat wave holds northern KwaZulu-Natal, where Richards Bay hits 40°C, and the Chris Hani, OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo districts of the Eastern Cape, with Mthatha at 34°C. Fire danger is extremely high in northern Limpopo, parts of the Northern Cape and around Graaff-Reinet, while Gqeberha stays cool at 21°C.
Weather warnings for Thursday 15 October
SAWS has 4 weather warnings in force for Thursday, 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
Graaff – Reinet, Thohoyandou, Musina, Alldays + 1 more
When
Thu 10:00 to 18:59
Veld Fire Conditions
Where
Graaff – Reinet, Thohoyandou, Musina, Alldays + 1 more
When
Thu 10:00 to 18:59
Areas: Graaff – Reinet, Thohoyandou, Musina, Alldays, Lephalale.
- Damage to property/settlements, loss of grazing land and possible loss of animal and/or human life.
What to do: Public is advised not to start any fires under these conditions. At first sign of smoke, every possible measure should be taken in order to bring the fire under control in the shortest possible time.
Yellow level 2
Severe Thunderstorms
Where
Mokopane, Thabazimbi, Bela-Bela, Nokaneng + 4 more
When
Thu 15:00 to 20:59
Severe Thunderstorms
Where
Mokopane, Thabazimbi, Bela-Bela, Nokaneng + 4 more
When
Thu 15:00 to 20:59
Areas: Mokopane, Thabazimbi, Bela-Bela, Nokaneng, Mookgopong, Lephalale, Vaalwater, Marble Hall.
- Localised damage to infrastructure, settlements(informal), property,vehicles, livelihood and livestock.
- Localised flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas and bridges.
- Localised disruption to municipal services due to lightning activity.
What to do: Seek safe shelter from hail and lightning. Drive carefully. Stay away from flooded areas.
Warning Advisory
Weather Advisory
Where
Hlabisa, Hluhluwe, King Shaka Airport, Makatini + 13 more
When
Thu 08:00 to 20:59
Weather Advisory
Where
Hlabisa, Hluhluwe, King Shaka Airport, Makatini + 13 more
When
Thu 08:00 to 20:59
Areas: Hlabisa, Hluhluwe, King Shaka Airport, Makatini, Stanger, Mandini, Maphumulo, Camperdown, Melmoth, Riverview, Ndwedwe, Margate, Pennington, Mbazwana, Richards Bay, Eshowe, St Faith's (Cathula).
- Dehydration and Cramps.
- Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke.
- Impaired concentration
What to do: – Hydrate regularly/constantly – Avoid outdoor activity – Seek shade – Check on vulnerable people.
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.
SAWS advisory
Impact-Based Warnings
What
1 item, tap to read
Impact-Based Warnings
What
1 item, tap to read
- Yellow Level 2 Warning: Severe Thunderstorms resulting in localised flooding and danger to property and infrastructure due to heavy downpours, damaging winds, hail and lightning, are expected over the south-western parts of Limpopo.
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 in places over Dr Beyers Naude (Xamdeboo area) Local municipality of the Eastern Cape, northern parts of Limpopo, Xhariep District Municipality of the Free State, as well as Tsantsabane, Dikgatlong, and Phokwane Local Municipalities and parts of Pixley Ka Seme District Municipality of the Northern Cape.
SAWS advisory
Advisories
What
3 items, tap to read
Advisories
What
3 items, tap to read
- A heat wave with persistently high temperatures is expected in places over the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal until Friday (15-16/10/2026).
- A heat wave with high temperatures is expected in places over chris hani, O.R Tambo and Alfred Nzo District Municipalities of the Eastern Cape until Saturday (15-17/10/2026).
- Hot to very hot conditions resulting in extremely uncomfortable conditions are expected in the eastern parts of KwaZulu Natal until Friday (15-16/10/2026).
Moon tonight
Waxing Crescent
24% lit
The moon tonight is a waxing crescent, about 24% lit, and the next full moon is on Monday 26 October.
Weather today by province, Thursday 15 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 29°C.
Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto, Vereeniging
Thunderstorms are in the forecast for Johannesburg and Soweto (19°C to 29°C) and Vereeniging (17°C to 29°C), while Pretoria reaches 31°C with showers and thundershowers possible.
Johannesburg today
Thunderstorms29°19°0%NNE 5 km/h
Tap for every town todayTap to close Gauteng
Tap for every town todayTap to close Gauteng
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | Thunderstorms | 19° | 29° | 0% | NNE 5 |
| Pretoria | Rain, storms | 20° | 31° | 0% | ENE 5 |
| Soweto | Thunderstorms | 19° | 29° | 0% | NNE 5 |
| Vereeniging | Thunderstorms | 17° | 29° | 0% | N 5 |
Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Paarl, George · tides
High cloud and no rain, with Paarl the warmest at 29°C, Stellenbosch at 27°C and George at 24°C. Cape Town stays mild between 13°C and 21°C.
Cape Town today
High cloud21°13°0%NW 15 km/h
Tap for every town todayTap to close Western Cape
Tap for every town todayTap to close Western Cape
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | High cloud | 13° | 21° | 0% | NW 15 |
| Stellenbosch | High cloud | 9° | 27° | 0% | NNW 10 |
| Paarl | High cloud | 10° | 29° | 0% | NW 10 |
| George | High cloud | 12° | 24° | 0% | SE 10 |
Tides: Cape Town
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 15 Oct | 11:19, 23:40 | 05:27, 17:32 |
Mpumalanga and Limpopo next today: Mbombela reaches 31°C and Polokwane reaches 31°C.
Mbombela, eMalahleni, Ermelo
Mbombela is the warmest at 31°C under partly cloudy skies, eMalahleni (29°C) faces showers and thundershowers, and Ermelo goes from 14°C to 29°C with rain showers.
Mbombela today
Partly cloudy31°18°0%SW 0 km/h
Tap for every town todayTap to close Mpumalanga
Tap for every town todayTap to close Mpumalanga
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mbombela | Partly cloudy | 18° | 31° | 0% | SW 0 |
| eMalahleni | Rain, storms | 16° | 29° | 0% | N 5 |
| Ermelo | Rain showers | 14° | 29° | 0% | WNW 5 |
Polokwane, Tzaneen, Thohoyandou, Musina
A Level 2 severe thunderstorm warning runs from 15:00 to 20:59 for Mokopane, Thabazimbi, Bela-Bela and Lephalale. Veld fire conditions from 10:00 affect Musina (37°C) and Thohoyandou (35°C).
Polokwane today
Rain, storms31°17°0%NE 10 km/h
Tap for every town todayTap to close Limpopo
Tap for every town todayTap to close Limpopo
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polokwane | Rain, storms | 17° | 31° | 0% | NE 10 |
| Tzaneen | Mostly clear | 15° | 32° | 0% | E 5 |
| Thohoyandou | Partly cloudy | 19° | 35° | 0% | E 5 |
| Musina | Partly cloudy | 20° | 37° | 0% | E 10 |
North West and Free State follow today: Mahikeng reaches 31°C and Bloemfontein reaches 30°C.
Mahikeng, Rustenburg, Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp
Rustenburg reaches 33°C and Potchefstroom 31°C, both with a 30% chance of showers and thundershowers, while Mahikeng and Klerksdorp stay partly cloudy at 31°C.
Mahikeng today
Partly cloudy31°15°0%NNE 10 km/h
Tap for every town todayTap to close North West
Tap for every town todayTap to close North West
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahikeng | Partly cloudy | 15° | 31° | 0% | NNE 10 |
| Rustenburg | Rain, storms | 17° | 33° | 30% | N 5 |
| Potchefstroom | Rain, storms | 13° | 31° | 30% | N 10 |
| Klerksdorp | Partly cloudy | 14° | 31° | 0% | N 10 |
Bloemfontein, Bethlehem, Kroonstad
Partly cloudy all round, with Bloemfontein going from 12°C to 30°C, Kroonstad also at 30°C and Bethlehem at 28°C. Fire danger is extremely high in the Xhariep district.
Bloemfontein today
Partly cloudy30°12°0%NNE 10 km/h
Tap for every town todayTap to close Free State
Tap for every town todayTap to close Free State
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloemfontein | Partly cloudy | 12° | 30° | 0% | NNE 10 |
| Bethlehem | Partly cloudy | 13° | 28° | 0% | W 10 |
| Kroonstad | Partly cloudy | 13° | 30° | 0% | N 5 |
Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal close the list today: Kimberley reaches 32°C, Gqeberha reaches 21°C and Durban reaches 30°C.
Kimberley, Upington, Springbok, De Aar · tides
Upington is the hottest at 33°C under mostly clear skies, Springbok reaches 30°C under clear skies and Kimberley 32°C. Fire danger is extremely high around Tsantsabane, Dikgatlong, Phokwane and parts of Pixley Ka Seme.
Kimberley today
Partly cloudy32°14°0%N 10 km/h
Tap for every town todayTap to close Northern Cape
Tap for every town todayTap to close Northern Cape
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberley | Partly cloudy | 14° | 32° | 0% | N 10 |
| Upington | Mostly clear | 17° | 33° | 0% | W 10 |
| Springbok | Clear | 12° | 30° | 0% | WNW 10 |
| De Aar | Partly cloudy | 15° | 31° | 0% | WNW 15 |
Tides: Port Nolloth (modelled)
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 15 Oct | 10:40, 23:05 | 04:51, 16:58 |
Gqeberha, East London, Mthatha, Queenstown · tides
Mthatha (34°C) has a 30% chance of thunderstorms in a heat wave over the Chris Hani, OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo districts. A weather advisory is in force for Queenstown, Matatiele and Grahamstown; Gqeberha peaks at 21°C.
Gqeberha today
High cloud21°14°0%WSW 10 km/h
Tap for every town todayTap to close Eastern Cape
Tap for every town todayTap to close Eastern Cape
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gqeberha | High cloud | 14° | 21° | 0% | WSW 10 |
| East London | Cloudy | 17° | 22° | 0% | SW 10 |
| Mthatha | Thunderstorms | 14° | 34° | 30% | NNW 5 |
| Queenstown | Partly cloudy | 13° | 32° | 0% | WNW 15 |
Tides: Gqeberha
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 15 Oct | 11:29, 23:51 | 05:35, 17:43 |
Tides: East London
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 15 Oct | 11:31, 23:53 | 05:31, 17:38 |
Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, Newcastle · tides
A heat wave grips the north with Richards Bay at 40°C, and an advisory covers Stanger, Hluhluwe and King Shaka Airport from 08:00 to 20:59. Pietermaritzburg and Newcastle reach 34°C.
Durban today
Partly cloudy30°22°0%SSE 15 km/h
Tap for every town todayTap to close KwaZulu-Natal
Tap for every town todayTap to close KwaZulu-Natal
Towns today
| Town | Weather | Lo | Hi | Rain | Wind km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durban | Partly cloudy | 22° | 30° | 0% | SSE 15 |
| Pietermaritzburg | Rain, storms | 17° | 34° | 30% | NW 5 |
| Richards Bay | Partly cloudy | 22° | 40° | 0% | NNE 10 |
| Newcastle | Rain, storms | 16° | 34° | 30% | NW 5 |
Tides: Durban
| Day | Low tide | High tide |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 15 Oct | 11:32, 23:53 | 05:31, 17:40 |
View the 7-Day Weather Forecast
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