Friday's weather: Damaging waves and winds hit Eastern Cape, KZN; cool, cold across SA

News24

4 days ago

Damaging waves and winds are expected in parts of the Northern and Eastern Cape on Friday, making navigation difficult and posing a risk to small boats, while a warning of destructive winds has also been issued for parts of KwaZulu-Natal, said the South African Weather Service.
Impact-based warnings
- Damaging waves and winds pose serious risks to navigation and small vessels along parts of the coastline.
- A Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging waves is in effect between Alexander Bay and Plettenberg Bay, potentially making navigation difficult and putting small boats at risk of capsizing. Conditions are expected to subside from Friday evening.
Yellow level 2 warning: Damaging waves
Affected area: KwaZulu-Natal ( East coast)
Validity period: 01 August 2025 #saws #weatheroutlook #southafricanweather pic.twitter.com/lFynJ273Gu
— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) July 31, 2025
- A Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging winds and waves is in place from Plettenberg Bay to Kosi Bay. This includes possible disruptions in harbours and ports, with smaller vessels at risk of capsizing.
- A Yellow Level 1 warning for damaging winds is expected in KwaZulu-Natal, particularly south of Richards Bay. Localised damage to settlements and disruptions to transport and travel routes are likely in the morning.
In the SAWS' colour-coded weather warning system, yellow indicates a moderate risk of impact that requires caution and awareness, while orange indicates that higher-risk impact is expected, requiring increased attention and preparation.
SAWS uses the numbers to indicate the likelihood of weather-based impacts occurring.
Advisory
Very cold weather is anticipated in places over the Eastern Cape interior on Friday.
The weather in your province
Gauteng: Fine and cool.
Pretoria: 9°C — 21°C
Johannesburg: 7°C — 19°C
Vereeniging: 4°C — 17°C
Mpumalanga: Fine and cool, with colder temperatures expected in places on the Highveld and escarpment. The east will become cloudy by evening.
Mbombela: 5°C — 19°C
Ermelo: 5°C — 17°C
Emalahleni: 4°C — 17°C
Standerton: -2°C — 17°C
Skukuza: 7°C — 23°C
Limpopo: Fine and cool, becoming warm in parts of the Limpopo valley and western Bushveld. Expect cloudy conditions in the east by evening.
Polokwane: 1°C — 23°C
Phalaborwa: 10°C — 23°C
Tzaneen: 10°C — 23°C
Musina: 8°C — 27°C
Lephalale: 2°C — 25°C
Mokopane: 3°C — 20°C
North West: Fine, windy, and ranging from cool to cold.
Klerksdorp: 3°C — 17°C
Potchefstroom: 2°C — 17°C
Mahikeng: 4°C — 19°C
Rustenburg: 6°C — 22°C
Vryburg: 1°C — 18°C
Free State: Fine, windy, and cold.
Bloemfontein: 1°C — 15°C
Welkom: 2°C — 17°C
Bethlehem: -1°C — 16°C
Northern Cape: A frosty start over the western interior is possible. Otherwise, it will be fine, windy, and cool to cold. Coastal winds will be moderate to fresh south-easterly.
Upington: 3°C — 18°C
Kimberley: 1°C — 16°C
De Aar: 0°C — 13°C
Alexander Bay: 7°C — 24°C
Springbok: 2°C — 14°C
Calvinia: -4°C — 15°C
Sutherland: -7°C — 11°C
Western Cape: Cloudy along the south coast and adjacent interior until early afternoon, then turning fine and cold. Warmer conditions in the west are expected.
Coastal winds will vary: moderate to fresh south-westerly to westerly along the south coast, becoming moderate easterly in the afternoon; elsewhere, winds are moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly.
Cape Town: 9°C — 16°C
Vredendal: 2°C — 19°C
Riversdale: 8°C — 15°C
George: 8°C — 15°C
Worcester: 2°C — 16°C
Beaufort West: 0°C — 12°C
Oudtshoorn: 2°C — 15°C
Western half of the Eastern Cape: Partly cloudy and cold, with isolated showers and rain along the coast and nearby areas. Coastal winds will be fresh to strong westerly.
Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Partly cloudy and ranging from cold to cool, with isolated showers near the coast. Expect fresh to strong south-westerly winds along the coast.
Gqeberha: 7°C — 14°C
Makhanda: 7°C — 13°C
Cradock: -2°C — 13°C
Graaff-Reinet: -2°C — 13°C
East London: 10°C — 16°C
Port St Johns: 11°C — 19°C
Mthatha: 5°C — 16°C
Komani: 0°C — 12°C
Qonce: 7°C — 15°C
KwaZulu-Natal: Cool temperatures along the coast and in the far north-east with morning fog in the west. Elsewhere, it will be partly cloudy and cold with isolated showers and morning rain, except for the north. skies will clear in many places by late morning.
Coastal winds will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-westerly but can reach strong to gale conditions at times.
* This weather report was written with the support of Toqan AI.