Eastern Cape weather warning: Expected storms could become severe

The South African Weather Service (Saws) has issued a yellow level 1 warning for severe thunderstorms in the western half of the Eastern Cape from 2pm today.

Areas to be affected include Willowmore, Addo, Somerset East and Graaff-Reinet.

“A surface trough and upper-air perturbations will result in showers and thunderstorms in places over the province. There is a possibility that the expected storms will become severe,” warned the weather service.

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Residents in these areas should expect localised flooding, short-term disruption to power supply and traffic disruptions.

Provincial weather forecast

Gauteng: Partly cloudy and warm weather with isolated showers and thundershowers. The expected UVB sunburn index: High.

Mpumalanga: Morning fog along the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers. It will be hot in the Lowveld.

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Limpopo: Partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers. It will be hot in the Lowveld.

North West: Partly cloudy and warm weather with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the west.

Free State: Partly cloudy and cool to warm, with isolated showers and thundershowers.

Northern Cape: Cloudy and warm weather with isolated to scattered thundershowers. It will be partly cloudy in the extreme east. The wind along the coast will be fresh north-westerly.

Western Cape: Morning fog along the west coast and adjacent interior, otherwise cloudy and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered in the east.

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The wind along the coast will be light and variable along the south coast but light to moderate westerly in the early morning, otherwise moderate to fresh northerly to north-easterly. The expected UVB sunburn index: Low.

Western half of the Eastern Cape: Morning and evening fog in places, otherwise cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers.

The wind along the coast will be light and variable but light to moderate southerly in places in the afternoon.

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Partly cloudy with fog in the morning, otherwise cloudy and warm to hot weather with scattered showers and thundershowers in the afternoon but isolated along the coast and adjacent interior.

The wind along the coast will be light and variable in places, otherwise light to moderate north-easterly.

KwaZulu-Natal: Fog in the morning, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot weather with isolated showers and thundershowers in the west and south.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh north-easterly. The expected UVB sunburn index: Very High.