Countrywide scorcher to subside towards end of week

Good news for Gauteng residents, and elsewhere in the country, is that temperatures will become cooler at the end of the week.

Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, forecaster at the South African Weather Service Jan Vermeulen said maximum temperatures are expected to drop into the cool category on Friday, due to the cold front which passed over the southern parts of the country yesterday.

Today, temperatures in Gauteng are expected to be warm and hot in the northern parts of the province.

“The cold front is expected to spread to the Eastern Cape tomorrow and bring cooler and rainy conditions,” Vermeulen said.

Gauteng has a good chance of rainfall on Thursday, following a couple of weeks of dry conditions.

According to Vermeulen, there is a 60% chance of showers and thundershowers on the cards for the province in question.

In terms of temperatures for Johannesburg, maximums are expected to drop to 26oC on Thursday while minimums will be at 14oC.

A further drop to 23oC is expected on Friday.

Other provinces where similar conditions are on the cards are KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, as well as the northern and eastern parts of North West.

Rainfall will be isolated for most parts of the country on Friday except for the extreme western parts regions.

The Western Cape, in dire need of rainfall, can expect 60% chance of rain, particularly in Cape Town and the southern Cape coast.

Authorities there have repeatedly said the situation is dire, but remained confident that the province will not run out of water during the coming winter, which is the rainfall season there.

The Western Cape usually receives most of its rainfall during winter.