Weather alert: thunderstorms and flooding to disrupt New Year celebrations across South Africa
THE South African Weather Services has issued a warning of heavy rainfall, localised flooding, hail and thunderstorms for most parts of the country including KwaZulu-Natal for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
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KwaZulu-Natal New Year’s Eve revellers may need to swap sunglasses for umbrellas, with the South African Weather Service (SAWS) forecasting a wet evening for large parts of the province, particularly in the north.
KZN-based weather forecaster Nhlanhla Sithole said most areas will experience warm conditions for much of the day, with Ladysmith and Newcastle expected to reach highs of 32°C and the Midlands peaking at around 25°C, before afternoon rain and thunderstorms set in.
“There are great chances of rain tomorrow (New Year’s Day). In areas like Amajuba, uThukela and Harry Gwala districts, the probability of rain is at 80%,” Sithole said.
He added that uMkhanyakude district and the eastern parts of King Cetshwayo district have a 30% chance of rainfall.
“Our warning for now, which may still be updated, is a Yellow Level 2 alert for expected rainfall, severe thunderstorms, strong winds, hail and localised flooding,” he said.
According to Sithole, the southern parts of the province may catch a brief break in the rain between 10pm and 1am, but most areas still face high chances of showers.
Rainy conditions are expected to continue into New Year’s Day, potentially affecting planned celebrations and outdoor events across the province.
Elsewhere in the country, the Eastern Cape’s Amathole and OR Tambo districts are under a Yellow Level 4 warning for severe thunderstorms, strong winds, heavy rain, excessive lightning and hail, which could result in flooding and infrastructure damage.
The Yellow Level 2 warning issued for KwaZulu-Natal also applies to southern Limpopo, Gauteng, the escarpment and Highveld of Mpumalanga, eastern Free State and the north-eastern Eastern Cape.
Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over parts of the Northern Cape, southern Free State and the Beaufort West Municipality in the Western Cape, while extremely hot and uncomfortable conditions are forecast for the Khai-Ma Municipality in the Northern Cape.