NATIONAL NEWS - A strong cold front with an associated steep upper trough is expected over the Western Cape and Namakwa District of the Northern Cape on 15 June into 16 June.
The public and small stock farmers in the mentioned areas are advised of the following weather alerts:
- Gale force north-westerly winds (65-70 km/h) are expected between Cape Columbine and Cape Agulhas on Thursday, moderating overnight.
- Strong to gale force, gusty north-westerly winds (50-70 km/h) are expected over the Western Cape and Namakwa District interior on Thursday into Friday.
- Heavy rain leading to flooding is expected over the City of Cape Town, Cape Winelands, western parts of the Overberg and West Coast District on Thursday and extending into Friday.
As the cold front makes its way to the south-eastern parts of the country on Friday 16 June, strong to near-gale force westerly to south-westerly winds (50-6 km/h) can be expected along the Eastern Cape coast with wave heights between 5 to 7 m.
Temperatures over the high lying areas of the Western and Eastern Cape as well as the southern parts of the Northern Cape are expected to drop significantly, with certain areas reaching very cold conditions.
By Saturday, the cold front would have exited the country and the cold, dry air will spread to the interior of the country, resulting in cold daytime conditions over the Free State, North West Province, Gauteng as well as Mpumalanga.
Significant rainfall amounts can be expected from Thursday morning, where spells of heavy downpours are likely from late morning into the afternoon. Accumulated rainfall amounts of 10-25 mm can be expected, but 30-50 mm over the mountains (Figure 1). Further intermittent rain and showers are expected to continue over the western half of the Western and Northern Cape Provinces on Friday, with a further 10-20 mm likely over the western mountains.
Impact:
Large accumulation of water will result in flooding of roads as well as formal and informal settlements. This may result in damage to property and lead to a disruption in services to communities.
Due to the vastness of the areas and District Municipalities covered, this may put short-term strain on emergency personnel. Heavy downpours during Thursday could result in flash flooding, possibly affecting transport routes and low-lying infrastructure.
Mudslides and rockfalls are also possible. As it is exam time, students in rural communities should be advised when making their way to and from school.
'We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news'
