A developing storm in the South Atlantic Ocean is expected to reach South Africa over the coming weekend bringing rain and snow to the Cape provinces.
The latest forecasts indicate that the fast-moving front will make landfall on the west coast late on Saturday evening, but temperatures will already begin to drop for many areas in the Western and Northern Cape by the start of the weekend. Light rain will begin to fall around the Cape Peninsula in the afternoon but widespread rain will move across the region from later in the evening.
Temperatures will plummet over western South Africa on Sunday as showers spread inland behind the front with snow falls on the high ground of the Cape Provinces. All mountain ranges in the Western Cape can expect snow to elevations as low as 1000 meters above seal level, which means that even Table Mountain could get a dusting.
Unlike the major storm that lashed the Western Cape last month, severe wind and wave conditions are not expected with this system although gusty weather will affect the highveld ahead of the front, and much of the coastline. As is often the case with this type of system, berg winds will push temperatures up along the east coast and in the lowveld where maximums are likely to get above 30 degrees.
The front clears out late on Sunday but temperatures with cold air remaining over the country, where temperatures will drop far below zero into Monday morning over the central and western interior.
Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga will escape much of the front’s effects but it will become colder for these areas by Monday especially overnight. Daytime temperatures will then normalize after an unseasonably warm week.
Two more but weaker cold fronts are likely to move over the south western parts next week. This will maintain cloudy and cold conditions for parts of the Western Cape on Monday and Tuesday
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