Tornado rips through Free State farmland after severe storms

A weak but dangerous EF0 tornado touched down on a farm in Heilbron, Free State, on Monday afternoon. 

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) said the tornado occurred between 3pm and 4pm in Heilbron, Free State, on November 24, 2025, after thunderstorms in the area “matured to be more severe in the afternoon.”

Forecaster Lehlohonolo Thobela, says conditions in the region were primed for tornadic activity.

“There were gusts around the region with identified shearing, convergence and moisture to form a convective cloud. Which resulted in a super cell at a later stage. The conditions were favourable for a tornado to form,” Thobela said.

SAWS noted that the tornado formed in a climatological hotspot.

“Climatological hotspots align with where the tornado occurred,” the forecaster said, explaining that the Free State, along with Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, historically records more frequent tornadoes.

The organisation pointed to long-term studies, including a Water Research Commission investigation, showing that South African tornadoes peak between November and March.

“This supports the sense that warm moisture environments with triggers from cool environments are critical indicators of tornadoes occurring during this time of the year,” said Thobela.

The meteorological setup closely resembled past severe weather outbreaks.

SAWS highlighted similarities to the tornadic supercell of December 11, 2017 on the Highveld, noting that it too was driven by “strong low-level moisture and significant boundary-layer vertical wind shear.”

A recent 2024 study on Highveld supercells was also cited, showing that such storms “are most common in October and November,” often lasting about an hour and travelling nearly 50 km.

The study further suggests that terrain influences where severe storms develop, especially in Highveld and eastern Mpumalanga regions.

Despite the dramatic visuals often associated with tornadoes, SAWS said this one caused minimal impact.

“There were no further observed impacts or reports from the tornado and it does look like it occurred in an open field and resulted in minor or no damage in the area,” Thobela confirmed.

The tornado has been officially rated an EF0, the weakest level on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with estimated wind speeds between 105 and 137 km/h.

“Such tornadoes typically result in minor damage, such as broken branches, shallow-rooted trees being pushed over, and light damage to roofs,” SAWS said.

SAWS warned that even weak tornadoes can pose danger to residents caught outdoors.

“While EF0 tornadoes are relatively weak, they remain dangerous weather phenomena, and the public is urged to always exercise caution during severe thunderstorms,” Thobela said.

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