A week of very cold temperatures is expected across the majority of South Africa from Thursday 23 2021, lasting well into the weekend. According to SA Weather Services, the cold temperatures are due to a succession of cold fronts that are expected to sweep across the southern half of the country.
The first cold front will arrive over the south-western parts of the country on Monday afternoon, followed by another, more intense, cold front on Wednesday. The latter system will be supported by a well-defined upper-air trough, thus enhancing the overall intensity of the weather system.
A cold front will make landfall over the south-western parts of the country on Monday afternoon, 19 July 2021. Consequently, strong north-westerly winds can be expected over the southern interior as well as along the southern and south-eastern coastal regions. Isolated showers and rain will occur over the south- western parts of the Western Cape province on Monday afternoon, spreading to the southern parts in the evening. Rainfall intensity is expected to increase on Tuesday along the western part of the Cape south coast, including the Overberg District, with the distinct possibility of localised flooding in these areas.
Light snowfalls are expected over the south-western mountain peaks on Tuesday morning, whilst bitterly cold conditions are likely to set in over much of the interior of the Western Cape. Showers are expected to reach the western parts of the Eastern Cape later, spreading to the Sneeuberg and Winterberg. Light snowfall is expected in high-lying areas and mountain ranges of the western parts of the Eastern Cape, including the Tsitsikamma, Kouga, Sneeuberg and Winterberg mountains.
A second, more intense cold front supported by an upper-air trough will affect the Cape provinces on Wednesday through to Thursday, consolidating very cold, wet and windy conditions over the majority of the Western and Eastern Cape interior regions.
Moreover, disruptive snowfalls can be expected in many of the higher mountain regions of the Cape provinces (refer Figure 2). An additional weather-related impact is that, following recent significant rainfall over the south-western part of Western Cape, the In the western half of the Eastern Cape, it will be cloudy and cold with isolated showers and rain but scattered along the coast. Snowfall is expected over the high-lying areas.
The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong westerly, becoming near gale to gale force south-westerly from the afternoon.
The eastern half of the Eastern Cape will be very cold north of the escarpment where snowfall is expected, otherwise partly cloudy with isolated showers and rain in the west.
The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong south-westerly, reaching near gale force from the afternoon.
Residents are urged to keep an eye out for further warnings and obey instructions from disaster management officers. The public is advised to avoid crossing rivers and swollen streams where water is above their ankles.
If trapped in a vehicle during a flood, try to climb out to higher ground.
In buildings, move all valuables to a safe place above the expected flood level.
In rural areas, animals should also be relocated to higher ground, the weather service advises.
