Yellow storm warnings issued for six provinces on Monday
The weather service has issued three levels of yellow warning for severe thunderstorms across six provinces on Monday, with flooding and infrastructure damage possible.
Parts of six provinces are under yellow warnings for severe thunderstorms today, according to SAnews, which reported on the latest forecast from the South African Weather Service (SAWS).
SAWS explained that a surface trough over the interior is behind the unsettled conditions. Through the week, the central and eastern regions can expect patchy showers and thunderstorms, while temperatures swing between cool spells and warm to hot weather, and some places will be very hot.
What is forecast for Monday
The day starts partly cloudy, with temperatures from cool to hot depending on the area. Showers and thundershowers are likely to be isolated or scattered in many places, but they should spread more widely over Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
The three warnings
The most serious is a Level 4 yellow warning. It covers the southern-central corner of Limpopo, the Mpumalanga highveld and escarpment (apart from the far south-west), and the western and north-eastern areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Storms there could bring intense rain, hail and a great deal of lightning, and SAWS expects flooding as well as damage to infrastructure and settlements.
A Level 2 yellow warning applies to the KwaZulu-Natal coast and the interior next to it, between Port Edward and Mtubatuba. Storms in that stretch may also bring strong, gusty winds. The weather service expects localised flooding and damage to infrastructure and settlements.
A Level 1 yellow warning covers:
- the far north-eastern escarpment of the Eastern Cape
- eastern parts of the Free State
- southern parts of Gauteng
- the extreme south-western corner of Mpumalanga
For these areas, SAWS expects localised flooding and damage to settlements, property and temporary structures. Power supply and communications could also be disrupted in places.
What this means for you
If you live or work in any of the affected areas, expect the weather to get rough at times today, and be prepared for possible disruption to electricity and communications where storms hit. Commuters and anyone travelling through these regions may want to follow SAWS updates through the day, as conditions can vary from one area to the next.
Yellow warnings mean the weather is expected to cause some impact, and the Level 4 area is the one where the most serious effects are forecast.
This story is based on reporting by SAnews.
