Storm Alert: Severe Thunderstorms Threaten Five Provinces!

For those in South Africa planning their day, here is a comprehensive guide to today's weather conditions, UVB forecasts, temperature updates, and fascinating provincial facts across the nation's nine provinces. This detailed overview will help residents prepare for the day ahead, from the smallest province of Gauteng to the expansive Northern Cape.

Gauteng: The smallest province in terms of area, covering 18,178 square kilometres, Gauteng is paradoxically South Africa's most populous with an estimated 16 million inhabitants as per the 2020 census. Its administrative capital is Johannesburg, located at 25°44′46″S 28°11′17″E. Today, Gauteng expects cloudy and cold weather with scattered showers and thundershowers. The expected UVB Sunburn Index is low.

Mpumalanga: Ranking as the second smallest province with an area of 76,495 square kilometres, Mpumalanga is home to an estimated 4.7 million people, making it the sixth most populous according to the 2020 census. Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit), situated at 25°27′57″S 30°59′07″E, serves as its capital and largest city. The province will experience morning fog patches along the escarpment, otherwise cloudy and cool to cold with scattered showers and thundershowers.

Limpopo: As the fifth largest province with an area of 125,754 square kilometres, Limpopo ranks fifth in population size, with approximately 5.9 million inhabitants as per the 2020 census. Its capital and largest city is Polokwane, found at 23°54′00″S 29°27′00″E. Weather conditions include morning fog patches along the escarpment, otherwise cloudy and cool to cold with isolated showers and thundershowers, scattered in the south and central regions.

North West: Covering 104,882 square kilometres, the North West province is the sixth largest and the seventh most populous, with an estimated 4.2 million residents in 2020. The capital city is Mahikeng (formerly Mafikeng), located at 25°51′56″S 25°38′37″E. Today's forecast indicates cloudy, windy, and cool conditions with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers, becoming widespread in the extreme south-east.

Free State: The Free State is the third largest province by area (129,825 square kilometres) but the second smallest in terms of population, with an estimated 2.9 million inhabitants as of 2020. Its capital and largest city, Bloemfontein (South Africa’s judicial capital), is located at 29°07′S 26°13′E. The province will be cloudy, windy, and cold to cool with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers, widespread in the north-western parts.

Northern Cape: As the largest province, spanning 372,889 square kilometres, the Northern Cape is also the smallest in population, with approximately 1.3 million inhabitants according to the 2020 census. Kimberley, its capital, is situated at 28°44′18″S 24°45′50″E. The western parts will be fine with morning fog along the coast otherwise partly cloudy to cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers in the east where it will be windy. Wind along the coast will be light north-westerly, becoming variable from the afternoon.

Western Cape: The Western Cape ranks as the fourth largest province with an area of 129,449 square kilometres and is the third most populous, hosting an estimated 7.2 million residents as per the 2020 census. Cape Town, its capital city, is located at 33°55′31″S 18°25′26″E. Today, the interior will be partly cloudy at first, otherwise fine to warm. The wind along the coast will be light to moderate north-easterly, becoming light and variable from the afternoon. The expected UVB Sunburn Index is high.

Eastern Cape: This province is the second largest, covering 168,966 square kilometres, and ranks as the fourth biggest in terms of population with an estimated 6.7 million inhabitants as of 2020. Its capital is Bhisho, located at 32°50′58″S 27°26′17″E. The western half will be partly cloudy and cool, but warm in a few places over the interior, with moderate easterly winds along the coast. The eastern half expects cloudy and cool conditions with morning rain and chances of showers and rain over the escarpment in the afternoon, with moderate to fresh north-easterly winds along the coast.

KwaZulu-Natal: KwaZulu-Natal is the seventh largest province, with an area of 94,361 square kilometres, and is the second most populous, with an estimated 11.5 million inhabitants according to the 2020 census. The capital city is Pietermaritzburg, situated at 29°37′S 30°23′E. The forecast includes cloudy and cold to cool weather with scattered showers and thundershowers, isolated in the south-east. Wind along the coast will be light to moderate south-easterly north of Durban, otherwise light to moderate north-easterly, becoming fresh in the afternoon. The expected UVB Sunburn Index is low.

Weather Alerts and Warnings: Impact-based warnings are in effect. An Orange Level 6 Warning for Severe Thunderstorms is issued for the northern and eastern half of the Free State, predicting flooding of settlements and roads, strong gusty winds, and hail causing damage to structures, travel disruptions, and municipal service outages. A Yellow Level 2 Warning for Severe Thunderstorms is in place for southern parts of Gauteng, the Highveld of Mpumalanga, the southern and central parts of the North West, the northern vast parts of the Free State, and in places in the extreme north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape. This warning indicates potential for localised damages to structures, falling trees, and local fire incidents due to excessive lightning. Currently, there are no Fire Danger Warnings or Advisories.