South Africa Braces for Devastating Deluge: Severe Storms and Heavy Rain Alert!

Planning your day and need to know what to wear? Here's a comprehensive look at today's weather across South Africa's nine provinces, including detailed forecasts, UVB sunburn indices, and temperature updates. This report also includes specific updates for Monday, 21 September 2026, for KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, and the North West provinces.

KwaZulu-Natal: For Monday, 21 September 2026, morning fog is expected over the interior, with partly cloudy to cool to warm conditions, and scattered afternoon showers and thundershowers. Winds along the coast will be light to moderate northerly to north-easterly, shifting to light to moderate south-westerly in the south from mid-morning and spreading northwards to Cape St. Lucia. The UVB sunburn index will be high. In Durban, expect partly cloudy conditions with scattered afternoon showers and thundershowers, winds light and variable at first, then light to moderate southerly to south-westerly, and temperatures ranging from 18°C to 25°C, with a low UVB sunburn index. KwaZulu-Natal is the seventh largest province, covering 94,361 square kilometres, and is the second most populous with an estimated 11.5 million inhabitants (2020 census). Its capital city is Pietermaritzburg (29°37′S 30°23′E).

Free State: On Monday, 21 September 2026, the province will be cloudy at first, then partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers. In Bloemfontein, temperatures will range from a minimum of 12°C to a maximum of 22°C, under partly cloudy skies with isolated showers and thundershowers. The Free State ranks as the third largest province, spanning 129,825 square kilometres, and is the second smallest in terms of population, with an estimated 2.9 million inhabitants (2020 census). Formerly known as the Orange Free State, its capital and largest city is Bloemfontein, also South Africa's judicial capital (29°07′S 26°13′E).

North West: For Monday, 21 September 2026, the North West province will be cloudy at first, followed by partly cloudy, cool to warm conditions with isolated showers and thundershowers. Mahikeng is predicted to be partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers, with temperatures ranging from a minimum of 13°C to a maximum of 24°C. The North West is the sixth largest province, covering 104,882 square kilometres, and is the seventh most populous, with an estimated 4.2 million inhabitants (2020 census). Its capital is Mahikeng (formerly Mafikeng) (25°51′56″S 25°38′37″E).

Gauteng: The province can expect partly cloudy and cool to warm conditions with isolated showers and thundershowers, and a high UVB Sunburn Index. Gauteng is South Africa’s smallest province, with an area of 18,178 square kilometres, but it is the biggest in terms of population, with an estimated 16 million inhabitants (2020 census). Its administrative capital is Johannesburg (25°44′46″S 28°11′17″E).

Mpumalanga: Morning drizzle and fog are possible along the escarpment, otherwise it will be partly cloudy and cool with isolated rain and showers, except in the Lowveld where it will be cloudy and warm. Mpumalanga is the second smallest province, with an area of 76,495 square kilometres, and ranks as the sixth most populous, with an estimated 4.7 million inhabitants (2020 census). Its capital and largest city is Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit) (25°27′57″S 30°59′07″E).

Limpopo: The province will experience cloudy conditions with a morning chance of drizzle and fog in the east, otherwise it will be partly cloudy and warm. Limpopo is the fifth largest province, covering 125,754 square kilometres, and is the fifth most populous, with an estimated 5.9 million inhabitants (2020 census). The capital and largest city is Polokwane (23°54′00″S 29°27′00″E).

Northern Cape: Expect cloudy conditions in the south at first, then partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers. The wind along the coast will be moderate southerly to south-easterly. The Northern Cape is the largest of South Africa’s provinces at 372,889 square kilometres, but it is the smallest in terms of population, with an estimated 1.3 million inhabitants (2020 census). Its capital is Kimberley (28°44′18″S 24°45′50″E).

Western Cape: The Western Cape will be fine in the west but cloudy along the south coast in the morning where it will be cool, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers in the north-east. Winds along the coast will be fresh to strong southerly to south-easterly, becoming easterly to northerly along the south coast in the evening. A high UVB Sunburn Index is expected. The Western Cape is the fourth largest province, with an area of 129,449 square kilometres, and is the third most populous, with an estimated 7.2 million inhabitants (2020 census). Its capital city is Cape Town (33°55′31″S 18°25′26″E).

Eastern Cape: The western half of the Eastern Cape will be partly cloudy and cool with morning fog in the south and isolated showers and thundershowers, scattered in the north-east. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate south-easterly, becoming north-easterly from the evening. The eastern half expects morning fog in places along the coast and adjacent interior; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and cool, with isolated showers and thundershowers, scattered over the interior. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate south-westerly, becoming north-easterly at night. The Eastern Cape is the second largest province, at 168,966 square kilometres, and is the fourth biggest in terms of population, with an estimated 6.7 million inhabitants (2020 census). Its capital is Bhisho (32°50′58″S 27°26′17″E).

Weather Alerts: A Yellow Level 2 Warning for severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours, hail, and excessive lightning, potentially causing localised flooding and damage to infrastructure and settlements, is expected across KwaZulu-Natal. Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the Nama-Khoi Municipality in the Northern Cape. No other advisories are currently in effect.