Weather Report: severe thunderstorms and hail warnings across the Cape

Friday, 25 September’s Weather Report shows partly cloudy and warm conditions across most of the country.

A cut-off low-pressure system, though, is set to bring severe weather to the western parts of South Africa, stretching into the weekend.

SAWS has issued a Yellow Level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms across parts of the Northern Cape and Western Cape, valid from 24 to 26 September, alongside separate warnings for KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State.

Gauteng will be partly cloudy and warm.

The UVB sunburn index is “very high” today, so sun precautions are genuinely worth taking if you’re outdoors for long.

REMEMBER | WEATHER: SA faces threat of hail, lightning and gusty winds

WHERE TODAY’S THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS ARE IN FORCE

Mpumalanga will see morning fog patches in places in the south.

Otherwise, it stays partly cloudy and cool, but warm in the Lowveld.

Limpopo starts cloudy in the east.

Otherwise, it turns partly cloudy and warm, with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers over places in the east, as well as the south-western parts.

The Free State can expect thundershowers again today. 

A severe thunderstorm warning is in force for the Okhahlamba and Royal National Park area specifically.

SAWS has warned of localised flooding, minor motor vehicle accidents due to slippery roads, and large amounts of small hail.

The Northern Cape will see conditions build ahead of the weekend. 

A Yellow Level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms covers the western and southern parts of the Namakwa district municipality.

Excessive lightning, large amounts of small hail, and gusty winds are all possible.

WHY THE CAPE AND KWAZULU-NATAL FACE THE BIGGEST RISK

The Western Cape will be partly cloudy over the Little and Central Karoo in the morning, becoming widespread showers and thundershowers by the afternoon.

Elsewhere, it turns cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers. 

The same Yellow Level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms also covers the Central Karoo and West Coast districts.

The Eastern Cape‘s western half sees morning fog in places in the south, otherwise fine and cool to warm, becoming cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers, isolated along the coast.

The eastern half follows a similar pattern.

KwaZulu-Natal sees morning fog over the interior.

Otherwise, it stays partly cloudy and warm, with isolated showers and thundershowers in the extreme south-west and north-east. Severe thunderstorm warnings remain in force for Estcourt, Ekuvukeni, Ladysmith, Underberg and more than 19 other areas.

SAWS has again flagged large hail and localised flooding as genuine risks.

According to SAWS, this cut-off low-pressure system is expected to persist into the weekend, meaning the western half of the country should stay on alert beyond today.

It’s a genuinely mixed picture today, calm and warm for much of the interior, but a real weather event building over the west.

Worth keeping a close eye on local updates if you’re anywhere near the Cape provinces, the Free State’s Drakensberg foothills, or KZN’s affected areas.

Are you in one of today’s warning areas, and how are you preparing?