Weather: Stormy Christmas Eve as thunder and hail hit summer hotspots

Christmas Eve brings a mixed bag of weather across South Africa, with the South African Weather Service highlighting areas of concern as summer thunderstorms become active over large parts of the country.

The most unsettled weather is expected over the central and eastern interior, where scattered to widespread showers and thunderstorms will develop.

Rain chances rise to around 60% over Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, with storms likely to become strong at times.

These areas can expect heavy downpours, frequent lightning and the risk of hail, which may lead to localized flooding of roads and low-lying areas, especially in populated centres.

The central interior, including parts of the Northern Cape and Free State, will see more isolated thunderstorm activity, with rain chances closer to 30 percent. While rainfall here will be less widespread, some storms could still produce brief heavy showers and gusty winds during the afternoon and evening.

Along the south coast and parts of the Western Cape, conditions are generally calmer, although light showers are possible at times with rain chances of about 30%. Coastal areas may experience fresh to strong winds, particularly near the southwestern coastline, which could make sea conditions difficult for small vessels for short periods.

Large parts of the western interior remain dry, with no significant rainfall expected. Temperatures across the country stay seasonally warm to hot, becoming cooler where rain and cloud cover persist.

IOL News