COLD SPELL
A WOMAN jumps over a puddle of water in Wallacedene, Cape Town. A major cold front has made landfall in the Western Cape and the rest of the country this weekend. It is expected to bring bitterly cold temperatures, with strong to gale-force winds.
TEMPERATURES are expected to drop to zero degrees in Gauteng over the weekend as the cold front grips the country.
The SA Weather Service said people should brace for strong winds in the next few days. The winds have already started in the Western Cape where property has been damaged.
Forecaster Kgolofelo Mahlangu said: “The cold front will affect Gauteng from Friday (today) and well into the weekend, with temperatures expected to drop to a minimum of 3°C in most parts and a minimum of zero in Vereeniging.”
Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 13°C on Saturday and 16°C on Sunday around the province.
“Gauteng is set to experience some frost due to the drop in temperatures and continued cold weather into the week,” Mahlangu said.
The cold front will not only bring heavy rains and widespread snow to some parts of South Africa, but it might come with load shedding.
Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha warned of possible load shedding yesterday.
“The generation system is constrained due to the cold front; some units have broken down. There is a high probability of load shedding during evenings between 5pm and 9pm, starting today (yesterday).
“We are seeing high demand due to the cold front. We have had to use all our resources, including burning diesel; even that may not be enough.”
The SA Weather Service has predicted that this may be “the most eventful winter” as the cold front strengthens.
Their forecast shows this system is not only staying on course, but is also strengthening substantially and “should make for one of the most eventful winter weekends in southern Africa in many years”.
The cold front is expected to last until Sunday.