Blanket of snow covers Drakensberg
SA is feeling effects of cold front with heavy rains predicted for some areas
Heavy snowfall has blanketed parts of the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.
“On Wednesday night there were heavy snowfalls in Eastern Cape which is ongoing. On Thursday morning heavy snow fell in the southern Drakensberg‚ namely Mpendle‚ Mooi River‚ Nottingham Road and Sani Pass,” said Ron Ansell of Snow Report SA.
“It is meant to continue until the early hours of Friday morning.”
Chief weather forecaster at the SA Weather Service Ezekiel Sebego said most of the country was feeling the effects of the cold front‚ which passed over Gauteng on Wednesday night.
“The coldest regions in the country are in the southern Free State‚ Northern Cape‚ Eastern Cape‚ and the interior of the Western Cape.
“Some of the regions in those areas are only expecting a maximum of 10 degrees‚ some even less. On the mountains in the Western Cape‚ Eastern Cape and KwaZuluNatal‚ there are snowfalls.
“Mountain passes in the Eastern Cape have already been closed‚” said Sebego.
“Showers of rain over the Eastern Cape and KwaZuluNatal are mostly expected for Thursday and some could be heavy‚ especially in the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape and the southern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
“There is flooding expected in those areas. The heaviest rainfall predicted for Friday is in KwaZulu-Natal. Temperatures will start recovering on Saturday.”
He said bad weather was expected to return next week in the Western Cape.
Head of the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board‚ Mike Anderson-Reade‚ said shark safety gear at most of the bathing beaches was removed on Wednesday due to numerous weather and swell forecasting models it monitors‚ which predicted unsettled seas and strong groundswell of up to three metres.
“These unsettled seas and large swells could result in the movement or damage to shark safety gear should it remain in the water. In order to minimise damage or losses, the board‚ in consultation with affected municipalities‚ on Wednesday morning removed shark safety gear at the majority of protected bathing beaches.”
The beaches in Salt Rock in Durban‚ Sun Coast‚ Bay of Plenty to uShaka and Margate Main Beach remain open for bathing‚ depending on the surf conditions.
‘‘ The coldest regions are in the southern Free State and Eastern Cape