Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
SA in an icy vice as weather worsens
Cold weather and snow forecast
WHILE Cape Town has been enjoying sunny days, other parts of the country are in the midst of a winter snap.
It has been snowing in the Eastern Cape and forecasters are also predicting between 15 and 40cm of snow around the far-eastern part of the Free State, Lesotho, Drakensberg, and KwaZulu-Natal.
An upper-air trough associated with cold air is expected to come over the Eastern Cape, before moving and intensifying around the Lesotho area of Drakensberg.
“There have already been reports of snowfall at the top of Sani Pass,” says Jan Vermeulen, a forecaster with the South African Weather Ser- vice. He says “disruptive” snow will lead to road closures and cause delays.
The weather service has also warned that parts of the N3 between Joburg and Durban could be closed due to the adverse weather.
Capetonians can keep their snow gear packed away as no snow is forecast for the Mother City and the Western Cape.
But residents across South Africa will have to stay warm as a drop in temperatures countrywide is expected.
The weather service warned that livestock could be lost if they are not led to shelter in lower elevations in the Eastern Cape due to the cold front.
Farmers in the Eastern Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho and Mpumalanga are urged to take extra care of their cattle.
Although early forecasts indicate possible snow in the KwaZulu- Natal Midlands, Snow Report South Africa says substantial precipitation is unlikely, although a few areas could see light showers.
Rain is expected in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Gauteng, with temperatures in Ermelo expected to fall to 4°C on Saturday.