Airplane Flying Above City Under Stormy Sky. Representational Image.
Airplane Flying Above City Under Stormy Sky. Representational Image. Quang Nguyen Vinh/Pexels.com

A yellow Level 2 warning has been issued on Wednesday for severe thunderstorms in Mpumalanga, western and northern KwaZulu-Natal, and southwestern Limpopo, as per SA Weather Service (SAWS).

These storms could cause localized damage to infrastructure, property, vehicles, livestock, and settlements. Another yellow Level 2 warning has been issued for "disruptive rain" in Gauteng, eastern North West, and the southwestern Bushveld of Limpopo.

Some areas in the North West have already received 30mm to 55mm of rain, and more rainfall could lead to flooding. A heatwave advisory has been issued for parts of the Eastern Cape, with temperatures expected to rise into the high 30s.

The heatwave will mainly affect northern parts of the region from Wednesday to Saturday. Temperatures are forecast to reach 36°C in Cradock (Nxuba) on Thursday and 37°C in Aliwal North (Maletswai).

Scattered showers and thundershowers are expected over central and eastern parts of the country over the weekend, with rainfall also forecast along the south coast of the Western Cape on Saturday.

World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) previously pointed out that 2024 was the hottest year on record, News24 reported.

The WMO revealed that the global average surface air temperature from January to September was 1.54°C higher than the pre-industrial average, partly due to a warming El Niño event.

SAWS chief scientist Andries Kruger said that some parts of South Africa experienced extremely high temperatures in 2024. For instance, Vioolsdrif recorded a scorching 47.2°C on March 11 while Hammanskraal and Unisa saw highs of 39.2°C on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4, respectively.

Last month, SAWS warned severe thunderstorms for several regions in South Africa, including the North West, Gauteng, the extreme southwestern parts of Mpumalanga, the eastern and central Free State, the western parts of KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Eastern Cape.

In October, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) said the government is working hard to improve the weather early warning system, which is essential for the State's readiness for disasters.

CoGTA Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa noted that they have strengthened their partnership with the SAWS to ensure that accurate and timely weather warnings reach all areas of the country, especially those that are vulnerable.

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