Cold front hits Gauteng: Joburg Emergency Services urges caution
Gauteng residents have been urged to double their blankets and also take precautions by Johannesburg Emergency Services as a cold front sweeps across the province.
Temperatures in Gauteng have dropped below the freezing mark in some areas as the cold weather grips most parts of the country.
Gauteng Weather in a post on X said the mercury for Johannesburg on Friday is forecast at 0°C, while Pretoria is expected to have a temperature of 2°C.
Vereeniging is currently experiencing temperatures below freezing at -2°C.
Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi has urged residents to stay warm during the cold spell, while also taking precautions.
“Below freezing temperatures are expected in most parts of the city of Johannesburg, due to the arrival of a cold front. residents are urged to exercise caution while using any heating devices, things like heaters, paraffin stoves, braziers or imbaula, not to leave them unattended, so that we can be able to prevent fire incidents which might occur during these extremely cold temperatures.”
Gauteng residents have been urged to double their blankets but also take precautions by Johannesburg Emergency Services as a cold front sweeps across the province. #Gauteng #ColdFront #Johannesburg #EmergencyServices @TheCitizen_News pic.twitter.com/rpVZcVr0ZY
— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) June 27, 2025
Mulaudzi said they will be on high alert for any emergencies.
“From our side is the city of Johannesburg, Emergency Management Services and all our units; we remain on high alert together with our disaster management mentoring teams in all seven regions of the city for any emergencies which might occur,” Mulaudzi said.
Residents have been encouraged to call the city of Johannesburg’s emergency services call centre on 011 375 5911 for any life-threatening emergencies.
— Vision Tactical (@visiontactical) June 26, 2025🌬️ Bitter Cold & Icy Winds… We’re Taking Action ❄️🧣
As freezing winds hit the city tonight, our Vision Tactical teams are out with community members, handing out blankets to the homeless battling the cold.
This cold isn’t just uncomfortable… it’s dangerous. Every blanket… pic.twitter.com/mJFbiOdni7
Meanwhile, Eskom has increased generation capacity to ensure that the lights stay on and halt load shedding during the freezing weather conditions.
Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena told The Citizen, the power system remains stable and continues to demonstrate resilience in meeting increased electricity demand.
Although system constraints do occur from time to time, they are effectively managed through available emergency reserves, which are strategically deployed during morning and evening periods.
“To further enhance grid stability, Eskom plans to return 2 100 megawatts of generation capacity to service and address the anticipated cold weather.”
In May, Eskom said it would have more than 2.5GW of power this winter and could avoid load shedding altogether if unplanned breakdowns remained below 13GW.
This bodes well for South Africans who were worried about rolling blackouts during winter.
In late January and February, South Africa experienced power cuts at various stages, ranging from stage 3 to stage 6, following nearly ten months of uninterrupted electricity supply.
