Nelson Mandela Bay can expect some good rainfall this weekend moving into next week, but not enough to break the drought.
This is according to Garth Sampson from the South African Weather Service.
The forecast is for a four-day period starting Saturday, September 17 until Tuesday, September 20.
Sampson said that the Langkloof catchment area should generally receive rainfall of less than 50mm for this period.
“It is not enough to break the drought but should give us some relief,” he said.
He added that 30mm or more of rain is expected over the whole of the Eastern Cape, south of the escarpment. Higher rainfall amounts are expected along the Eastern Cape coastal areas between Plettenberg Bay and Port Edward. These can be between 50 to 100mm over the four-day period.
CLICK HERE FOR WEATHER SA’S DETAILED SEVEN-DAY FORECAST FOR GQEBERHA
“The impacts of the heavier rainfall in places will only be experienced from Sunday onwards but the official warning will be sent out closer to the time.”
He continued that there will be a sudden drop in temperature over the interior from Sunday to Monday. “Maximum temperatures on Sunday will be around 20°C and then drop to around 10°C on Monday. This will affect small stock farmers. Rain conditions will clear rapidly from Tuesday onwards.”
The heavier rain could possibly result in very localised flooding.
Sampson warned that the forecast is still far ahead and that conditions can shift either way as the event draws closer. “Often these things dwindle as we get closer to the event, but this one has maintained its forecast. At this stage there are no warnings or advisories sent out by SAWS yet, but this can change at any moment,” he said.
Residents are still advised to save water and can listen to the radio or visit the SAWS website for the latest warnings and advisories.
