SA battered with heavy rain and snow

Wintry weather will continue to blast the western half of South Africa as a strong cold front batters the Western Cape and spreads east, the South African Weather Service has said.

The N3 Toll Concession has warned travellers to be wary of inclement weather and dangerous driving conditions and rain and snow are expected to affect traffic flows.

“During these extreme weather conditions, it is essential for everyone to pull together to ensure safety along the route and minimise incidents associated with icy conditions that may materialise due to a drop in temperatures and onset of rain. It is essentially about saving lives and minimising delays,” said Con Roux, commercial manager of N3TC.

16°C  maximum for Cape Town

Temperatures in Cape Town are not expected to be higher than 16°C and heavy rain and snow is predicted for the province – likely on the higher lying mountains.

The service warned of high seas and gale force winds around coast of the Western Cape coast with snow extending from the Western Cape as far as Sutherland in the Northern Cape. Snow Report SA tweeted that snow had fallen in Ceres, Robertson, Matroosberg, and Theronsberg in the Western Cape and Sutherland in the Northern Cape.

“At the moment [the cold front] is over the central parts of the country. It has already passed the Western Cape, the Northern Cape, and the western parts of the Eastern Cape,” said forecaster Lulama Pheme.

The interior of the country remains dry with ideal conditions for the spread of veldt fires in the Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and North West.

Temperatures in the Free State will start at below freezing on Friday through the weekend and in North West, Vryburg will start at -5°C on Friday morning, and only go up to 14°C. While sunny weather is predicted for Gauteng, the temperature will remain cold and Pretoria won’t go above 20°C over the next five days.

Treacherous weather ahead

The treacherous weather is expected to contribute to an increase in road collisions and drivers have been urged to increase their following distances and drive with their lights on – especially as visibility decreases.

The N3 Toll Concession said that Van Reenen’s Pass between Harrismith and Ladysmith is prone to high winds, icy conditions and snow.

Localised flooding due to heavy rain in the Western Cape and Northern Cape, snow and cold conditions in the Eastern Cape, Free State and North West may cause roads to be closed and drivers should plan alternative routes. Inclement weather may also affect traffic lights, resulting in delays.

Source: News24