NC town coldest place in country

WHILE Sutherland in the Northern Cape was officially the coldest place in South Africa yesterday with a minimum of -8.4 degrees Celsius, Kimberley was not far behind with a low of -6 degrees C.

Sutherland also had the lowest daytime temperature on Sunday, with the temperature not rising above 3.6 degrees C.

The maximum temperature in Kimberley on Sunday was 13 degrees C, while Calvinia and De Aar only reached eight degrees C, Fraserburg seven degrees C and Noupoort six degrees C.

According to preliminary data supplied by the SA Weather Service, several places in the Northern Cape also experienced black frost yesterday morning, which occurs when the temperature drops to below -5 degrees C.

Temperatures of -7 degrees C were measured yesterday in Vanwyksvlei, Noupoort and Victoria West.

While Kimberley was -6, a chilly -5 degrees C was measured at Postmasburg, Danielskuil, Griquatown, Prieska, Hopetown, Petrusville and De Aar.

Towns that experienced frost (a minimum temperature of between two and -4 degrees C) included Upington, Groblershoop, Kathu, Kuruman and Jan Kempdorp, which all had a minimum yesterday morning of -4 degrees C, and Hotazel and Kakamas experienced -3 degrees.

According to the Weather Office, the thermometer will continue to drop to below freezing for most of this week in large parts of the Province.

Kimberley’s expected minimum for today and tomorrow is -3 degrees C (with highs of 19 and 20 degrees C respectively), while on Thursday the minimum will be -2 degrees C (with a high of 21 degrees) and on Friday it will be -1 degree C with a high of 22.

Slightly warmer weather is expected on Saturday with a forecast low of two degrees C and a high of 25 degrees. Sunday will be nought to 20 degrees C.