The latest weather map shows a number of weather warnings in place for the Cape provinces – Photo: SAWS
The latest weather map shows a number of weather warnings in place for the Cape provinces – Photo: SAWS
The next 48 hours will be tough for residents in the Western Cape: Temperatures are set to soar higher than anywhere else in the world on Saturday, and a set of extreme weather warnings are now in place for the weekend.
Extreme heat: SAWS weather warnings in place for the Western Cape
The heat is the biggest concern of the bunch. The mercury will be pushing 45C in some rural regions, with a real-feel temperature of 50C in some isolated spots. A number of districts in the Western Cape are on high alert:
- Breede Valley
- Cape Winelands
- Central Karoo
- Drakenstein
- Langeberg
- Little Karoo
- Garden Route
- Overstrand
- Overberg
- Theewaterskloof
- West Coast
Wind and waves: Yellow Level 2 warnings
A full moon tide is currently causing havoc at sea, with both the western and southern coasts of South Africa badly affected, with rough and choppy waters in store this weekend. There’s also a threat of damage to coastal infrastructure, and these regions have been told to prepare for some maritime disruption.
- Cape Agulhas
- Cape Point
- Port Nolloth
- Saldhana Bay
- The Extended West Coast
- Coastal Regions of the Garden Route
Veld fire conditions: Red Level 10 warnings
It’s worth noting that almost all veld fire alerts are automatically cast with Level 10 weather warnings – due to the catastrophic damage these wild blazes can cause. There are 11 areas at risk of wildfires on Saturday:
- Beaufort West
- Bergrivier
- Breede Valley
- Drakenstein
- Kannaland
- Laingsburg
- Langeberg
- Matzikama
- Prince Albert
- Swellendam
- Swartland
Various weekend weather warnings for the Northern Cape – Saturday 22 January
- Extreme heat: Province-wide, Namakwa District especially.
- Wind and waves: Port Nolloth, Richtersveld, Kamiesberg, Hondeklip,
- Veld fire Level 10 warnings: Khai-Ma, Hantam, Kamiesberg, Gariep, Calvinia, Poffader
- SAWS advisory: The national weather agency shared this warning earlier:
“Very hot to extremely hot conditions will result from predominantly light northern wind flow over the interior of the Northern Cape. Temperatures are expected to reach up to 40 degrees Celsius on Saturday 22 January. The most serious health and safety concern is heatstroke, which can be fatal if medical attention is not available.”
SAWS statement
