Severe weather expected across parts of South Africa

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has issued high-level weather alerts for Sunday and Monday, warning of “impact-based” threats ranging from severe thunderstorms in the north of the country to storm surges along the southern coastline. A yellow level 2 warning was issued for severe thunderstorms in Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. According to the SAWS, the atmospheric conditions are primed for high-impact events.

“A high likelihood of minor impacts due to severe thunderstorms are expected over Gauteng, Limpopo as well as the highveld and escarpment of Mpumalanga,” it said. The weather service cautioned that the storms could cause structural damage. “Severe thunderstorms may cause localised flooding and damage to infrastructure, settlements (informal), property, vehicles, livelihood and livestock due to heavy downpours and strong damaging winds,” it said.

While the northern parts of the country are expected to experience lightning and hail, the Western and Eastern Cape face an onslaught from the ocean. The SAWS has highlighted a particular risk for coastal infrastructure heading into Monday. A yellow level 2 warning has been issued for storm surges, particularly between Plettenberg Bay and Port Alfred.

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The SAWS warned of “localised damage to coastal infrastructure, localised disruptions to beach front activities, [and] localised flooding of some coastal areas.” Navigation at sea is also expected to be treacherous, with warnings for damaging waves making “difficulty in navigation at sea” a certainty for small vessels and fishing fleets. Rainfall charts for Sunday and Monday indicate the Western Cape will see the heaviest saturation, with an 80% probability of widespread rain in areas around Worcester and Cape Town. The weather service has flagged several “impacts” that commuters should prepare for:

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