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The Citizen
9 hours ago
- Climate
- The Citizen
Snow hunters – Here's where to see snow this weekend
Snow hunters – Here's where to see snow this weekend Snow hunters across South Africa are on high alert as weather models indicate more than 50cm of snow could blanket parts of the country in the coming days, making this one of the most widespread winter events in years. A powerful cold front will strike the Western Cape early Saturday, spreading bitterly cold, wet and windy weather across the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, and beyond — with snow expected in eight of the nine provinces, including parts of Pretoria and the southern Highveld of Gauteng by Monday, depending on model shifts. According to Vox Weather's Michelle du Plessis, 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 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
The South African
16 hours ago
- Climate
- The South African
Weather: Snowfall on the horizon for Gauteng next week
Gauteng may experience snowfall next week as a cold front arrives. Vox Weather has forecast a possibility of snow in the province on Monday, with temperatures dropping into the mid-teens. 'As the cut-off low continues to develop and freezing levels drop further, light snow remains a possibility over the southern parts of Gauteng and the southern Highveld of Mpumalanga,' Vox Weather said as per The Citizen . The cold front will bring icy conditions, snow in some provinces, which include KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, Gauteng, parts of Mpumalanga and the eastern parts of the North West. 'High-lying grounds of the Eastern Cape are expected to have disruptive snow. Scattered to widespread chance of rain and showers over KwaZulu-Natal as well as the Eastern Cape on Monday. If you'll be in Gauteng, you can expect a partly cloudy day, with a 30% chance of showers and cold temperatures that are expected, especially for the central, as well as the southern parts of the province,' said SA Forecaster Lehlogonolo Thobela. While there is a possibility of snowfall on Monday in Gauteng, temperatures are expected to drop significantly on Tuesday and Wednesday, with some areas likely to experience subzero temperatures in the mornings. The cold front is expected to linger until next week Friday for most parts of the country, according to the weather service. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
a day ago
- Climate
- The Citizen
Come rain or snow, Joburg Emergency Service on high alert
Gauteng residents have been warned to brace for severe weather With a forecast for snow and a cold front looming, Johannesburg Emergency Services (EMS) said they are prepared for any eventuality that may occur. According to Vox Weather, the mercury is expected to drop below 20°C on Monday, 9 June,` as residents scurry to get their blankets out and keep warm. The first of the winter cold fronts moving over parts of the country is a preview of the rest of the season. Gauteng snow? Regional forecaster Gauteng Weather has also warned residents to brace for freezing weather. 'Early forecast suggests powerful cold snap in Gauteng beginning Monday!!!' it said on X. While Gauteng residents were hoping for a surprise snowfall, Vox Weather said the European model (ECMWF) is no longer showing snow for Gauteng. 'We're not ruling out ice rain or the chance of a few light flurries,' it said. ALSO READ: Winter wonderland: Snow expected in Gauteng next week High alert Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said they are on high alert. 'It's extremely cold in most parts of the city of Johannesburg. Residents are urged to continue to exercise caution when using heating devices —things like heaters, paraffin stoves, braziers or Imbaula.' He said residents should not leave these heating devices unattended while in use to prevent fire incidents. 'From our side as a City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services, we remain on alert monitoring all seven regions of the city, especially our vulnerable communities, our informal settlements throughout the city, to ensure that we can be able to respond to any emergencies which might occur during this extremely cold temperatures,' Mulaudzi said. 'Life-threatening snow' Meanwhile, Vox Weather has warned of 'life-threatening snow possible for parts of the Eastern Cape and Lesotho. The ECMWF model is indicating that heavy snowfall of more than 40cm could accumulate over two days in the Nuweveld Mountains, north of Beaufort West, and near Nieu-Bethesda. 'Both ECMWF and Global Forecasting System (GFS) now suggest life-threatening snowfall over 50cm (half a metre) possible in the Southern Drakensberg near towns like Barkly East, Lady Grey and Khowa. Up to 70cm expected on nearby mountain passes!' 'Less snow is now expected over the Western Cape mountains than previously forecast. Keep in mind, as we've seen many times before, cut-off lows are highly unpredictable, and forecasts can change quickly from day to day,' Vox Weather said. Warning: Do not attempt a snow chase Vox said snow remains possible over the southern Free State, with a light dusting even as far north as Schweizer-Reneke in the North West. Disruptive snowfall likely in Lesotho, Eastern Cape (including the Southern Drakensberg, Barkly East, and surrounding areas) 'This is a very dangerous snow event. Please do not attempt a snow chase in the Eastern Cape. Mountain passes could close, roads may become impassable, and vehicles could easily get stranded in severe conditions,' Vox Weather warned. NOW READ: Eskom winter outlook: Here's how many days of load shedding to expect in SA
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Citizen
Snow expected in most of SA's provinces over the weekend
Snow expected in most of SA's provinces over the weekend Eight out of nine provinces in South Africa are expected to experience snow over the weekend and into next week. Pretoria Rekord reports that, according to Vox Weather forecaster Michelle du Plessis, the strong cold front will arrive in the Cape early on Saturday morning, bringing heavy rain to the western parts of the Western Cape, as well as cold, wet and windy weather across much of the Cape provinces. 'This front is supported by a strong upper-air trough, helping to deepen the system. 'Then on Monday, a cut-off low-pressure system is expected to develop behind the front, with freezing levels dropping significantly across the country and snow expected to fall in eight of South Africa's nine provinces.' Du Plessis says the first light snow is expected late on Saturday and overnight into Sunday morning around the Cederberg mountains in the Western Cape, as well as the Nuweveld and Roggeveld mountains in the Northern Cape. Heavier snow is already likely by this stage in Lesotho. Here is what to expect on these days in terms of snowfall: Sunday: June 8 Light snow will spread over the high-lying regions in the Karoo — including around Loxton, Nieu-Bethesda and Noupoort. Du Plessis adds that all models indicate the likelihood of snow over the northern highlands of the Eastern Cape, but they differ in their expected snowfall amounts. 'The GFS model suggests heavier snow, while the ECMWF shows significantly less. More snow is likely in Lesotho.' Monday: June 9: As the cut-off low continues to develop and freezing levels drop further, light snow remains a possibility over the southern parts of Gauteng and the southern Highveld of Mpumalanga. However, she adds that at this stage, only the ECMWF model is showing snowfall over Gauteng and the Highveld of Mpumalanga. 'As we've seen many times before, cut-off lows are unpredictable, and the forecast can change quickly from day to day. 'This means snowfall over Gauteng and nearby areas is still highly uncertain, and it may disappear from the forecast entirely or shift to a chance of freezing rain instead.' Furthermore, Du Plessis says more snow is expected in Lesotho and in regions bordering Lesotho (Free State, KZN and the Southern Drakensberg), with heavy snow likely over the mountains in the western parts of KZN. 'A very light dusting of snow is possible over the eastern regions of the Free State.' Provinces where snow is expected or possible: Western Cape` Cederberg mountains (light snow Saturday night into Sunday) Northern Cape Nuweveld and Roggeveld mountains (light snow late Saturday into Sunday) Karoo highlands around Loxton Eastern Cape Barkly East, Southern Drakensberg, Nieu-Bethesda, Noupoort (light to heavy snow likely) Free State Eastern regions (very light dusting possible) Areas bordering Lesotho KZN Underberg and western mountainous areas (heavy snow expected) Gauteng Southern parts (light snow possible Monday – model-dependent and uncertain) Mpumalanga Southern Highveld (light snow possible Monday – also model-dependent) Lesotho (not in South Africa but included in the context) Heavy snow expected around Sani Pass and high mountains Provinces not expected to see snow: Limpopo: No snow mentioned or expected in this province. 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
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Citizen
Snow expected in most of SA's provinces
Snow expected in most of SA's provinces – latest update Eight out of nine provinces in South Africa are expected to experience snow over the weekend and into next week. Vox Weather forecaster Michelle du Plessis, the strong cold front will arrive in the Cape early on Saturday morning, bringing heavy rain to the western parts of the Western Cape, as well as cold, wet, and windy weather across much of the Cape Provinces. 'This front is supported by a strong upper-air trough, helping to deepen the system. 'Then on Monday, a cut-off low-pressure system is expected to develop behind the front, with freezing levels dropping significantly across the country and snow expected to fall in eight of South Africa's nine provinces.' Du Plessis said the first light snow is expected late on Saturday and overnight into Sunday morning around the Cederberg mountains in the Western Cape, as well as the Nuweveld and Roggeveld mountains in the Northern Cape. Heavier snow is already likely by this stage in Lesotho. Here is what to expect on these days in terms of snowfall: Sunday: June 8 Light snow will spread over the high-lying regions in the Karoo — including around Loxton, Nieu-Bethesda, Noupoort. Du Plessis added that all models indicate the likelihood of snow over the northern highlands of the Eastern Cape, but they differ in their expected snowfall amounts. 'The GFS model suggests heavier snow, while the ECMWF shows significantly less. More snow is likely in Lesotho.' Monday June 9: As the cut-off low continues to develop and freezing levels drop further, light snow remains a possibility over the southern parts of Gauteng and the southern Highveld of Mpumalanga. However, she added that at this stage, only the ECMWF model is showing snowfall over Gauteng and the Highveld of Mpumalanga. 'As we've seen many times before, cut-off lows are unpredictable, and the forecast can change quickly from day to day. 'This means snowfall over Gauteng and nearby areas is still highly uncertain, and it may disappear from the forecast entirely or shift to a chance of freezing rain instead.' Furthermore, Du Plessis said more snow is expected in Lesotho and in regions bordering Lesotho (Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Southern Drakensberg), with heavy snow likely over the mountains in the western parts of KwaZulu-Natal. 'A very light dusting of snow is possible over the eastern regions of the Free State.' Provinces where snow is expected or possible: Western Cape` Cederberg mountains (light snow Saturday night into Sunday) Northern Cape Nuweveld and Roggeveld mountains (light snow late Saturday into Sunday) Karoo highlands around Loxton Eastern Cape Barkly East, Southern Drakensberg, Nieu-Bethesda, Noupoort (light to heavy snow likely) Free State Eastern regions (very light dusting possible) Areas bordering Lesotho KwaZulu-Natal Underberg and western mountainous areas (heavy snow expected) Gauteng Southern parts (light snow possible Monday – model-dependent and uncertain) Mpumalanga Southern Highveld (light snow possible Monday – also model-dependent) Lesotho (not a South African province but included in the context) Heavy snow expected around Sani Pass and high mountains Province NOT expected to see snow: Limpopo – No snow mentioned or expected in this province. 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!
