The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned of severe thunderstorms across five provinces on Wednesday, with potential flooding, damaging winds and hail expected.
The weather service (SAWS) issued the warning for the Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga on Wednesday, 18 March.
A surface trough, supported by a slow-moving upper trough, will result in severe thunderstorms in the Karoo Hoogland District in the Northern Cape, according to SAWS.
The storms are expected to bring localised flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas and bridges, large amounts of small hail and localised damage to infrastructure.
Severe thunderstorms are also expected over the western and central parts of Limpopo, Gauteng and the Lowveld of Mpumalanga, where slow-moving storms may cause heavy downpours and strong winds.
These storms may result in localised flooding of low-lying areas, including bridges and roads, and damage to infrastructure and settlements due to strong, damaging winds.
In KwaZulu-Natal, isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers are expected across the province. Some of these thunderstorms are expected to become severe, except for the uMkhanyakude District Municipality, eThekwini District Municipality, uMfolozi Local Municipality, uMhlathuze Local Municipality, Mandeni Local Municipality, KwaDukuza Local Municipality and Ndwedwe Local Municipality.
The thunderstorms may be accompanied by heavy downpours, damaging winds, excessive lightning and hail.
SAWS warned that the weather conditions may cause damage to infrastructure, settlements, property, vehicles, livelihoods and livestock. There is also a possibility of disruption to municipal and other essential services, including education, health, communication and power supply.
Other potential impacts include minor motor vehicle accidents due to slippery roads and poor visibility, difficult driving conditions on dirt roads, lightning resulting in localised fire incidents and localised injuries due to flying debris.
The general weather forecast for Wednesday shows partly cloudy and warm to cool conditions, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers expected except over the extreme western parts from the afternoon. It will be cloudy in places in the east.
