Photos: Snow confirmed in parts of SA
Snow fell across several regions of South Africa this morning as a powerful winter storm moves across the country, confirming forecasts of one of the most widespread snow events in years.
Pretoria Rekord reports that snow blanketed high-lying areas of the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Lesotho on this morning, as temperatures plunged and eager snow chasers flooded social media with photos of the winter spectacle.
The heaviest snow is still to come — with over 50cm expected in places like Barkly East and Afri Ski by tomorrow.
Vox Weather's Michelle du Plessis says the system will intensify as it develops into a cut-off low, dragging freezing levels lower and setting the stage for heavy snow over mountain ranges, including the Drakensberg, Southern Lesotho and parts of KZN, where the deepest accumulations are expected.
With social media buzzing among snow hunters eager to see the snow, forecasters warn that travel conditions could become hazardous, especially on mountain passes and rural roads.
Authorities urge South Africans to prepare for widespread frost, strong winds and icy conditions today and into next week, and to closely monitor updates as forecasts continue to evolve.
Here is where you will find snow:
In the Western Cape:
Matroosberg
Cederberg
Swartberg
In the Northern Cape:
Nuweveld and Roggeveld mountain, including Sutherland
Great Karoo
High-lying areas in Cape provinces:
Around Fraserburg
Loxton
Murraysburg
Richmond
Noupoort
Colesberg
Burgersdorp
Aliwal North
Molteno and surrounds
Lesotho could experience snow depths exceeding 50cm tomorrow, particularly around Afri Ski, and the Eastern Cape may expect between 50cm of snow over the southern Drakensberg and nearby towns, including Barkly East.
A mixture of snow/ice, rain and sleet is possible over the southern and eastern Free State:
Bethlehem
Warden
Heilbron
Reitz
Memel
Reddersburg
Trompsburg and surrounding towns
This includes the north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape, around Postmasburg and Kuruman.
Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service has issued a Yellow Level 1 warning for damaging coastal winds from Saldanha Bay to Cape Agulhas, and icy road conditions are expected across several interior districts, especially around Beaufort West.
With snowfall already likely over Lesotho and nearby areas today, and heavier falls predicted through next week, South Africans are advised to monitor updates closely and prepare for travel disruptions, icy roads and sudden temperature drops.
Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.
Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
Read original story on www.citizen.co.za
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
Photos: Snow confirmed in parts of SA
Snow fell across several regions of South Africa this morning as a powerful winter storm moves across the country, confirming forecasts of one of the most widespread snow events in years. Pretoria Rekord reports that snow blanketed high-lying areas of the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Lesotho on this morning, as temperatures plunged and eager snow chasers flooded social media with photos of the winter spectacle. The heaviest snow is still to come — with over 50cm expected in places like Barkly East and Afri Ski by tomorrow. Vox Weather's Michelle du Plessis says the system will intensify as it develops into a cut-off low, dragging freezing levels lower and setting the stage for heavy snow over mountain ranges, including the Drakensberg, Southern Lesotho and parts of KZN, where the deepest accumulations are expected. With social media buzzing among snow hunters eager to see the snow, forecasters warn that travel conditions could become hazardous, especially on mountain passes and rural roads. Authorities urge South Africans to prepare for widespread frost, strong winds and icy conditions today and into next week, and to closely monitor updates as forecasts continue to evolve. Here is where you will find snow: In the Western Cape: Matroosberg Cederberg Swartberg In the Northern Cape: Nuweveld and Roggeveld mountain, including Sutherland Great Karoo High-lying areas in Cape provinces: Around Fraserburg Loxton Murraysburg Richmond Noupoort Colesberg Burgersdorp Aliwal North Molteno and surrounds Lesotho could experience snow depths exceeding 50cm tomorrow, particularly around Afri Ski, and the Eastern Cape may expect between 50cm of snow over the southern Drakensberg and nearby towns, including Barkly East. A mixture of snow/ice, rain and sleet is possible over the southern and eastern Free State: Bethlehem Warden Heilbron Reitz Memel Reddersburg Trompsburg and surrounding towns This includes the north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape, around Postmasburg and Kuruman. Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service has issued a Yellow Level 1 warning for damaging coastal winds from Saldanha Bay to Cape Agulhas, and icy road conditions are expected across several interior districts, especially around Beaufort West. With snowfall already likely over Lesotho and nearby areas today, and heavier falls predicted through next week, South Africans are advised to monitor updates closely and prepare for travel disruptions, icy roads and sudden temperature drops. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
6 hours ago
- The Citizen
Snow confirmed in parts of SA – here are the photos
Snow confirmed in parts of SA – here are the photos Snow has officially fallen across several regions of South Africa this morning as a powerful winter storm moves across the country, confirming forecasts of one of the most widespread snow events in years. Snow blanketed high-lying areas of the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, and Lesotho on Sunday morning, as temperatures plunged and eager snow chasers flooded social media with photos of the winter spectacle. The heaviest snow is still to come — with over 50cm expected in places like Barkly East and Afri Ski by Monday. Vox Weather's Michelle du Plessis said the system will intensify as it develops into a cut-off low, dragging freezing levels lower and setting the stage for heavy snow over mountain ranges, including the Drakensberg, Southern Lesotho, and parts of KwaZulu-Natal, where the deepest accumulations are expected. With social media already buzzing among snow hunters eager to witness the event, forecasters warn that travel conditions could become hazardous, especially on mountain passes and rural roads. Authorities urge South Africans to prepare for widespread frost, strong winds, and icy conditions on Sunday and into next week, and to closely monitor updates as forecasts continue to evolve. Here is where you will find snow: In the Western Cape: Matroosberg, Cederberg, Swartberg In the Northern Cape: Nuweveld and Roggeveld mountain including the town of Sutherland, the Great Karoo The high-lying areas in the Cape provinces: around Fraserburg, Loxton, Murraysburg, Richmond, Noupoort, Colesberg, Burgersdorp, Aliwal North, Molteno and surroundings. Lesotho could experience snow depths exceeding 50cm on Monday, particularly around Afri Ski, and in the Eastern Cape may expect between 50cm of snow over the southern Drakensberg and nearby towns. Including Barkly East. A mixture of snow/ ice rain and sleet is now possible over southern and eastern Free State: Bethlehem, Warden, Heilbron, Reitz, Memel, Reddersburg, Trompsburg and surrounding towns. It includes north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape, around Postmasburg and Kuruman. Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service has issued a Yellow Level 1 warning for damaging coastal winds from Saldanha Bay to Cape Agulhas, and icy road conditions are expected across several interior districts, especially around Beaufort West. With snowfall already likely over Lesotho and nearby areas by Sunday and heavier falls predicted through next week, South Africans are advised to monitor updates closely and prepare for travel disruptions, icy roads, and sudden temperature drops. Also read: Snow expected in Gauteng next week Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
IOL News
6 hours ago
- IOL News
Economic impact of the Comrades Marathon on South Africa
Tourism and hospitality industry and economists believe that the 98th edition of the Comrades Marathon on Sunday will provide an economic boost to the KZN and South African economies. Image: Comrades Marathon/Facebook Tourism and hospitality industry and economists believe that the 98th edition of the Comrades Marathon on Sunday will provide an economic boost to the KZN and South African economies. Brett Tungay, East coast chairperson for the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa), said that the Comrades marathon has a huge impact on the KZN hospitality and tourism and the KZN economy. 'In Pietermaritzburg, most of the occupancies have been reported as fully booked, which is great news. We all expect a great turnout for Durban with both local and international arrivals. Comrades is not just a KZN event; it really impacts people from across South Africa.' Tungay added this is great news for sports and events tourism. 'This is something that we have been pushing for as events and sports tourism gives a huge boost for the tourism and hospitality sector. We recently had a major event with the Nedbank Cup final in May between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. It was a huge event for KZN; restaurants, retailers, and accommodation were fully booked. So the Comrades Marathon is also going to be huge, and we are expecting to be very busy. We do need international arrivals as numbers have been down since the Covid 19 pandemic and events like this boost international arrivals.' Rosemary Anderson, National Chairperson Fedhasa, said that the Comrades Marathon is one of South Africa's most iconic sporting events and plays a vital role in driving tourism. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'Each year, it attracts thousands of runners, supporters, and families from around the country and the world. This influx of visitors boosts demand for hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, tour services, and transport – creating a ripple effect across the local and regional economy. It's not just about race day – it's about the extended stays, pre- and post-race travel, post-race dining and celebrations, and the vibrant atmosphere that energises the entire hospitality sector. Anderson added that the Comrades Marathon is a brilliant catalyst for the tourism and hospitality industry. 'It fills accommodations, packs out restaurants, and showcases South Africa's warm hospitality to both locals and international guests. Beyond the economic boost, it gives destinations like Durban and Pietermaritzburg a valuable platform to market themselves globally. Visitors often extend their stay to explore other attractions in KwaZulu-Natal and beyond, amplifying the tourism spend. Importantly, it also creates temporary and permanent job opportunities across tourism-related services – from event logistics to food vendors, tour guides, and more.' Anderson said that large-scale events like the Comrades Marathon, the Cape Epic, or international rugby and cricket sporting events are powerful tourism drivers. 'They not only bring in international visitors but also elevate South Africa's global profile as a dynamic, welcoming, and world-class destination. The more successful events we host, the more we can stimulate local economies, create jobs, and diversify our tourism offerings. They give people a reason to travel here – and often, once they experience the country, they return for leisure holidays, business, or further sporting events. Major events are a smart, sustainable way to grow tourism and showcase South Africa's unique spirit.' Umhlanga Tourism chairperson Jeannie Sarno said that the office is looking forward to welcoming the annual Comrades Marathon and the influx of visitors it brings to the area. "It's not just runners that attend the Comrades; they travel with friends, supporters, coaches, and even family. The majority of our establishments are fully booked, and this is a great relief to the tourism-related businesses who have had low bookings for March and April this year." Sarno added she encourages the community to continue to be welcoming to our visitors and helpful to assist when it comes to recommendations of restaurants and tourism attractions for the days leading to the run and the days after. 'Many families allow the runners to 'do their thing' on the pre- and post-race, and the families enjoy the sites and attractions in and around Umhlanga.' Waldo Krugell, an economics professor at the North-West University (NWU) and a previous Comrades Marathon runner, said that he always gets excited during Comrades weekend. 'There is a clear positive economic impact. Previous research indicates that it contributes significantly to the provincial economy. It is not only the athletes, but the supporters that travel along and frequently stay longer as well. Comrades has a larger impact on the local economy than many similar sport events, and this is attributed to the specialised nature of the event.' BUSINESS REPORT Visit:
