News24 | Saturday’s weather: Heavy rains, thunderstorms persist in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KZN

1 month ago 17

Heavy rain is expected in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.

Jason Oxenham/Getty Images

Disruptive rain leading to widespread flooding is expected to continue in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, according to the South African Weather Service (SAWS).

The Free State, North West and Limpopo can expect severe thunderstorms, while strong winds are forecast for the Northern Cape.

Impact-based warnings

Orange Level 9 warning: Disruptive rain with further heavy downpours leading to widespread flooding, resulting in danger to life due to fast-flowing streams, displacement of communities, widespread damage to settlements or structures over the northern escarpment and Lowveld of Mpumalanga, as well as the eastern parts of Limpopo.

Orange Level 6 warning: Disruptive rainfall resulting in the flooding of roads and settlements, mudslides, rockfalls and soil erosion, danger to life due to fast-flowing stream, damage to property, infrastructure, loss of livelihood and livestock are expected over the central parts of Limpopo (parts of the Capricorn and Sekhukhune district municipalities) and eastern Highveld of Mpumalanga (the Emakhazeni, Msukaligwa, Mkhondo and Chief Albert Luthuli local municipalities).

Yellow Level 2 warning: Disruptive rainfall resulting in localised flooding of susceptible formal/informal settlements or roads, low-lying areas and bridges, localised mudslides, rockfalls and soil erosion are expected in places over the central parts of Limpopo as well as Mpumalanga, and the north-eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

Weather warning for today & tomorrow, 16 - 17 January 2026.
Disruptive Rain remains in place for the Lowveld of Mpumalanga, especially over Nkomazi, Bushbuckridge, and the City of Mbombela. On-and-off showers and periods of rain are still expected today & tomorrow.#saws pic.twitter.com/n2xtt04U8J

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) January 16, 2026

Yellow Level 2 warning: Severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours, damaging winds, large amounts of hail and excessive lighting leading to localised flooding and damage to settlements and infrastructure are expected over the central parts of the North West as well as the Free State, and the extreme south-western parts of Limpopo.

Yellow Level 1 warning: Damaging winds with localised damage to settlements, localised damage to temporary structures and some journeys require longer travel times over the western interior of the Northern Cape.

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.

The SAWS uses the numbers to indicate the likelihood of weather-based impacts occurring. Levels 2 and 6 are high, and Level 4 is low. Level 9 is medium.

The weather in your province

Gauteng: Cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers.

Pretoria: 18°C - 26°C

Johannesburg: 17°C - 24°C

Vereeniging: 17°C - 26°C

Mpumalanga: Cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread in the east.

Mbombela: 20°C - 25°C

Ermelo: 15°C - 23°C

Emalahleni: 16°C - 26°C

Standerton: 16°C - 26°C

Skukuza: 21°C - 25°C

Limpopo: Cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thundershowers.

Polokwane: 18°C - 27°C

Phalaborwa: 21°C - 27°C

Tzaneen: 20°C - 27°C

Musina: 22°C - 29°C

Lephalale: 21°C - 31°C

Mokopane: 19°C - 30°C

North West: Partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, scattered in the east.

Klerksdorp: 18°C - 32°C

Potchefstroom: 17°C - 30°C

Mahikeng: 19°C - 31°C

Rustenburg: 19°C - 30°C

Vryburg: 21°C - 33°C

Free State: Cloudy with morning fog patches in the extreme east, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot. Isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers expected, except in the south-western parts.

Bloemfontein: 19°C - 32°C

Welkom: 20°C - 33°C

Bethlehem: 15°C - 29°C

Northern Cape: Fine, windy, and hot, becoming partly cloudy over the eastern parts. Coastal winds will be fresh to strong southerly to south-easterly.

Upington: 17°C - 34°C

Kimberley: 21°C - 36°C

De Aar: 17°C - 34°C

Alexander Bay: 14°C - 25°C

Springbok: 9°C - 25°C

Calvinia: 10°C - 27°C

Sutherland: 10°C - 25°C

Western Cape: Fine in the extreme west at first, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot. Isolated rain and showers are expected along the south coast in the morning.

Coastal winds will be fresh to strong.

Cape Town: 17°C - 26°C

Vredendal: 11°C - 27°C

Riversdale: 16°C - 29°C

George: 16°C - 23°C

Worcester: 15°C - 28°C

Beaufort West: 15°C - 31°C

Oudtshoorn: 17°C - 29°C

Eastern Cape: Cloudy and warm with isolated showers and rain along the coast, partly cloudy over the interior. Afternoon thunderstorms are expected mainly east of Queenstown.

Gqeberha: 18°C - 25°C

Makhanda: 15°C - 26°C

Cradock: 13°C - 33°C

Graaff-Reinet: 12°C - 31°C

East London: 19°C - 23°C

Port St Johns: 17°C - 23°C

Mthatha: 14°C - 28°C

Komani: 13°C - 31°C

Qonce: 16°C - 27°C

KwaZulu-Natal: Morning fog patches over the interior, otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm.

Scattered showers and thundershowers in the north, isolated elsewhere. Coastal winds will shift from southerly to north-easterly by afternoon.

Durban: 22°C - 27°C