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Wind, rain and localised flooding likely for parts of SA, starting Wednesday

There is a probability of heavy rain and possible flooding in parts of the province.
There is a probability of heavy rain and possible flooding in parts of the province.
Image: 123RF/Surut Wattanamaetee

The SA Weather Service has warned of a “significant” change in weather which could see localised flooding in parts of the Free State, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

The inclement weather is expected from Wednesday.  

The service said the change was as a result of accumulated rainfall over a two-week recess period over the central interior of SA, which ended on Tuesday.

Areas set to be affected by minor localised flooding include Thabo Mofutsanyane municipality and the eastern areas of the Gariep district municipalities of the Free State, Alfred Nzo, OR Tambo, Joe Gqabi and Chris Hani District municipalities of the Eastern Cape, and in places over the southern parts of KwaZulu-Natal (eThekwini metro, Ugu, Harry Gwala, Umgungundlovu and iLembe district municipalities) on Wednesday and Thursday.  

“Apart from the interior of the Western Cape, the western parts of the Northern Cape and the central and eastern parts of Limpopo where no rainfall is forecast at this stage, citizens across other parts of the country could experience scattered (60%) to isolated (30%) showers and thundershowers.”

Strong winds are also expected to accompany the change and may affect some poorly anchored informal settlements over the central areas of the country including northern Free State, North West and eastern areas of the Northern Cape, according to the service.

“Showery and cooler weather is expected to continue over parts of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the south coast and adjacent interior of the Western Cape from Wednesday to Friday, while also spreading to the central and eastern interior on Thursday.”  

Severe thunderstorms with hail and strong, damaging winds are expected over the eastern half of the Northern Cape as well as the western half of both the Free State and North West provinces on Thursday afternoon.

“This anticipated change follows the development of a well-defined and slow-moving upper-air trough with persistent low-level onshore flow on to the southeastern areas of the country.” 

TimesLIVE