The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a warning for October and November, cautioning that South Africa will most likely be experiencing severe weather from heatwaves to storms. This ties in with the unusual weather in parts of the country over the last couple of months.
SAWS cautions public to be vigilant
In a press release by the South African Government, it was stated that the SAWS has cautioned members of the public to be on alert as the upcoming months of October and November 2024 may bring heatwaves, severe storms, and damaging winds.
SAWS Senior Manager: Disaster Risk Management, Rudzani Malala, spoke at a media briefing on Tuesday, 1 October 2024, in Pretoria. Malala mentioned that severe storms and damaging winds are not unusual in the highveld region. This region includes the northern Free State, Gauteng, and the eastern highveld of Mpumalanga.
Furthermore, he explained that South Africa’s unique geography causes varying weather conditions across seasons.
Severe weather warning: Heatwaves
The SAWS stated that they are expecting a relatively hot summer over much of the country, leading to a strong possibility of extreme heatwaves.
During spells of significant hot, dry weather, certain members of the public are particularly susceptible to dehydration. These include the elderly, those who are ill, and infants and toddlers . The SAWS has therefore appealed to everyone to take care, stay hydrated, and support those who are in need and more fragile.
“It is an unfortunate but well-documented reality that heatwaves often lead to numerous fatalities, if no mitigative steps are taken.”
Rudzani Malala, SAWS Senior Manager: Disaster Risk Management
Recent snow causes chaos
Although many South Africans were surprised by the extremely cold conditions and recent snow, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, Malala pointed out that this was accurately predicted by the SAWS.
People shout take severe weather warnings issued by the SAWS seriously. The snow wreaked havoc on roads between the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and also the Eastern Cape.
‘Snow in later winter and early spring is not unusual or rare at all. The more intense, extreme snow systems tend to affect southern Africa in very late winter, especially over the eastern provinces’, said Malala. Markedly, in 2011, Johannesburg experienced snow in October.
On rare occasions (three times in the past century), snow has occurred on New Year’s Day in KwaZulu-Natal’s Drakensberg region.
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