News24 | Saturday’s weather: Severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, hail, strong winds in 5 provinces

1 week ago 3

The weather service has warned of severe thunderstorms with heavy rain in at least five provinces.

Gallo Images/Luba Lesolle

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned of severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, which may lead to flooding, hail and strong winds in parts of the Free State, North West, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.

Impact-based warnings

Yellow Level 2: Severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours resulting in localised flooding of susceptible roads, settlements and low-lying bridges/areas, excessive lightning, large amounts of small hail, wind damage to infrastructure expected over the Free State, south-western parts of North West, north-eastern parts of Northern Cape and the northern interior of the Eastern Cape, as well as the highveld and escarpment of Mpumalanga.

Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected today over the central and eastern parts of the country. Moist air circulates into the south-eastern parts of the country from the Indian Ocean tomorrow, providing favourable conditions for showers over central and eastern parts. pic.twitter.com/vf7jCkaEqU

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) December 5, 2025

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. Levels 2 and 6 are high, and Level 4 is low.

The weather in your province

Gauteng: Partly cloudy and warm temperatures will prevail with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers.

Pretoria: 14°C — 29°C

Johannesburg: 13°C — 27°C

Vereeniging: 14°C — 28°C

Mpumalanga: The day will start fine and warm, with hot to very hot conditions in the lowveld.

Conditions will turn cloudy in the afternoon, bringing scattered showers and thundershowers, although these will be isolated in the lowveld.

Mbombela: 16°C — 30°C

Ermelo: 13°C — 26°C

Emalahleni: 12°C — 27°C

Standerton: 13°C — 26°C

Skukuza: 18°C — 36°C

Limpopo: The province will experience fine and warm to hot weather. By afternoon, partly cloudy skies will bring isolated showers and thundershowers to the extreme southern regions.

Polokwane: 14°C — 30°C

Phalaborwa: 18°C — 34°C

Tzaneen: 18°C — 31°C

Musina: 19°C — 34°C

Lephalale: 18°C — 33°C

Mokopane: 15°C — 34°C

North West: Expect a fine and warm to hot day. Clouds will increase, leading to isolated showers and thundershowers.

Klerksdorp: 17°C — 31°C

Potchefstroom: 16°C — 30°C

Mahikeng: 17°C — 32°C

Rustenburg: 16°C — 32°C

Vryburg: 18°C — 33°C

Free State: The province will experience a fine, warm to hot day, which will become partly cloudy.

Scattered showers and thundershowers are predicted, especially in central areas, while they will remain isolated in the southwest.

Bloemfontein: 17°C — 32°C

Welkom: 18°C — 32°C

Bethlehem: 11°C — 28°C

Northern Cape: A fine and hot to very hot day is expected in the west of the province. Elsewhere, it will be partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers.

Morning fog is anticipated along the coast – drive carefully if travelling in this region. Coastal winds will be fresh to strong southerly to south-easterly.

Upington: 21°C — 37°C

Kimberley: 20°C — 34°C

De Aar: 18°C — 32°C

Alexander Bay: 17°C — 24°C

Springbok: 16°C — 31°C

Calvinia: 13°C — 31°C

Sutherland: 8°C — 28°C

Western Cape: The west of the province will be sunny, while the rest will be partly cloudy and warm to hot. Over the Bergrivier Municipality, it will be very hot, with cool conditions in some southern parts.

Expect light rain along the south-eastern areas in the morning. Coastal winds will range from light to moderate southerly along the south coast to fresh or strong elsewhere.

Cape Town: 19°C — 26°C

Vredendal: 14°C — 33°C

Riversdale: 17°C — 27°C

George: 16°C — 22°C

Worcester: 16°C — 31°C

Beaufort West: 15°C — 30°C

Oudtshoorn: 15°C — 28°C

Western half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy and cool with isolated showers and rain along the coast, transitioning to partly cloudy and warm inland.

Coastal winds will remain light to moderate southerly.

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy and cool conditions dominate, with isolated showers and rain along the coast and adjacent interior. In the north, scattered thundershowers are expected.

Coastal winds will be moderate to fresh, ranging from south-westerly to westerly.

Gqeberha: 18°C — 23°C

Makhanda: 14°C — 22°C

Cradock: 14°C — 26°C

Graaff-Reinet: 11°C — 27°C

East London: 18°C — 23°C

Port St Johns: 16°C — 24°C

Mthatha: 13°C — 24°C

Komani: 13°C — 23°C

Qonce: 14°C — 22°C

KwaZulu-Natal: Cloudy and cool conditions will persist throughout the day, although it will stay warm in the northern regions. Scattered showers and thundershowers are likely. The north-western interior will experience widespread thundershowers.

Coastal winds will shift from moderate to fresh northerly/north-easterly in the north to south-westerly/southerly elsewhere. Prepare for stormy conditions in many regions.

Durban: 20°C — 26°C

Richards Bay: 18°C — 28°C

Pietermaritzburg: 14°C — 24°C

Ladysmith: 14°C — 30°C

*This weather report was written with the support of Toqan AI.

Read Entire Article