The SA Weather Service (SAWS) expects widespread thundershowers over parts of the Free State, Northern and Eastern Cape on Sunday, spreading to the Western Cape on Monday, where there is a possibility of heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in places.
“Showers and thundershowers are expected to start on Sunday over the Free State, Lesotho, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape, spreading to the Western Cape on Monday, and this is expected to persist over the aforementioned areas until Wednesday,” said the SAWS.
It said heavy rainfall may develop over parts of the Cape winelands and Overberg (in the form of thundershowers) on Monday afternoon, with the potential for flash flooding.
“Moreover, daytime temperatures are expected to remain cold (between 10°C and 16°C) over the interior of the Cape provinces and parts of the Free State from Monday to Wednesday but may be below 10°C over the southern parts of the Namakwa district and northern interior of the Western Cape. Small stock farmers are advised that cold, wet and windy weather may pose a threat to livestock, especially over the interior of the Cape provinces during this period.”
It said this is due to a steep upper-air system that is expected to cut off from the main westerly flow during the weekend, developing into a cut-off low-pressure system along the west coast by Sunday.
“Cut-off lows are fickle and, at times, difficult to predict.”
Widespread showers, thundershowers expected over central, southern and western parts of SA from Sunday
Image: 123RF/Richard Valdez
The SA Weather Service (SAWS) expects widespread thundershowers over parts of the Free State, Northern and Eastern Cape on Sunday, spreading to the Western Cape on Monday, where there is a possibility of heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in places.
“Showers and thundershowers are expected to start on Sunday over the Free State, Lesotho, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape, spreading to the Western Cape on Monday, and this is expected to persist over the aforementioned areas until Wednesday,” said the SAWS.
It said heavy rainfall may develop over parts of the Cape winelands and Overberg (in the form of thundershowers) on Monday afternoon, with the potential for flash flooding.
“Moreover, daytime temperatures are expected to remain cold (between 10°C and 16°C) over the interior of the Cape provinces and parts of the Free State from Monday to Wednesday but may be below 10°C over the southern parts of the Namakwa district and northern interior of the Western Cape. Small stock farmers are advised that cold, wet and windy weather may pose a threat to livestock, especially over the interior of the Cape provinces during this period.”
It said this is due to a steep upper-air system that is expected to cut off from the main westerly flow during the weekend, developing into a cut-off low-pressure system along the west coast by Sunday.
“Cut-off lows are fickle and, at times, difficult to predict.”
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The weather service said though the latest numerical weather prediction models did not agree with the intensity, position and expected evolution of the cut-off low, similar weather systems in the past had resulted in sporadic intense rainfall, leading to flooding events.
“Given the recent rainfall and increased soil moisture over parts of the Western and Eastern Cape, sporadic heavy rainfall may enhance the possibility of flooding. It is therefore important that the public regularly follow weather warnings and updated weather forecasts that may be issued over the weekend.”
It said strong to near gale-force winds are expected to occur along the Western Cape coast between Saldanha Bay and Plettenberg Bay on Monday associated with very rough sea conditions of 4.5m to 5m, making navigation at sea difficult and possibly causing problems for small marine vessels.
“On Wednesday, the tail of the cut-off low (the so-called scorpion’s tail) will continue to result in rainfall over the Western Cape, while rainfall and cooler temperatures will spread to KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.”
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