A cut-off low is moving across South Africa, bringing severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, damaging winds, hail and unseasonal snowfall to several parts of the country.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has escalated its warning to an Orange Level 5 for parts of the Northern Cape, with disruptive conditions expected to continue through the weekend.
See our regular weather and flooding updates for ongoing coverage as conditions develop.
Government has urged citizens to take precautions as the weather system spreads across nine provinces.
The Orange Level 5 weather warning, the second-highest level in the SAWS system, covers the Dikgatlong, Kgatelopele, Siyancuma, Siyathemba and Thembelihle municipalities in the central Northern Cape.
The area faces intense thunderstorms and heavy downpours, which could cause flooding, structural damage and disruptions to electricity and municipal services.
Severe weather spreads across provinces
A wider Yellow Level 4 warning covers parts of the North West, Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
SAWS warns of severe thunderstorms, strong winds, hail and localised flooding in these areas.
Coastal KwaZulu-Natal faces the added risk of damaging winds and rough seas. Southern parts of the province, including areas near Underberg and Pietermaritzburg, could experience gusts of up to 90km/h.
A Yellow Level 2 warning covers Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Free State, where sudden heavy downpours, lightning and hail are possible.
Eastern parts of the Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal face a separate Yellow Level 2 warning for disruptive rainfall, with localised flooding likely in vulnerable areas.
Orange Level 6 warning for coastal winds and disruptive snow
SAWS has also flagged an even higher Orange Level 6 warning for damaging winds and waves along the Western Cape coast.
The warning stretches between Cape Agulhas and Plettenberg Bay and is expected to spread eastwards towards the Eastern Cape coast.
Strong interior winds are also possible across the Garden Route and eastern Overberg. Rough seas could disrupt marine operations and coastal travel.
A separate disruptive snow warning covers the north-eastern mountains of the Eastern Cape, the southern Drakensberg and parts of south-western KwaZulu-Natal.
Snow and icy conditions could make some roads hazardous.
Despite the wet outlook elsewhere, SAWS has flagged extremely high fire danger in the eastern Free State, eastern North West and central and northern Limpopo.
This highlights how the same cut-off low can bring very different hazards to different parts of South Africa.
Johannesburg and Soweto face flooding risk
Johannesburg and its surrounds are already feeling the effects of the severe weather, with flash flooding reported overnight in parts of Soweto and central Johannesburg.
The city’s Emergency Management Services and Johannesburg Roads Agency are on high alert.
Fallen trees have blocked roads in Mayfair, Windsor and Cyrildene. In Langlaagte and Witpoortjie, falling trees reportedly crushed a taxi and damaged a Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department vehicle.
Motorists have been warned to avoid Elias Motsoaledi Road in Dobsonville, near the Rea Vaya station, as well as Fuschia Road and Makhubu Street in Klipspruit West.
Spokesperson Kagiso Phasha said the city’s teams have been briefed to slow down, maintain a safe following distance and avoid flooded roads.
Pedestrians have also been urged to stay away from fast-flowing water.
Residents needing help have been directed to Johannesburg’s Command and Control Centre on 011 375 5911.
Also read: Safety measures to take during severe weather & flooding
Cold snap brings unseasonal snow
Parts of southern and eastern Johannesburg, including Oakdene, Rosettenville, Glenvista and Alberton, have seen light snowfall and sleet.
The city is expected to remain cloudy and cold through Sunday.
Although rainfall may ease slightly, the flash-flooding risk remains high because the ground is already saturated, particularly in flood-prone areas such as Alexandra and deep Soweto.
The timing is also awkward for the city, with the system expected to linger as Saturday’s Soweto Test between the Springboks and All Blacks gets under way.
Emergency teams on standby
Disaster management structures across the affected provinces have been placed on high alert as the cut-off low continues to move through the country.
Residents have been advised to secure loose outdoor objects, postpone non-essential travel and stay away from flooded areas and fast-flowing water.
The system follows a similar Orange Level 5 rainfall warning in June, when heavy rain and flooding affected parts of the Western and Eastern Cape.
For the latest South Africa weather updates, SAWS is publishing daily forecasts and warnings on its website.
Seven-day forecast: South Africa’s major cities
| City | Today (Sep 5) | Sun (Sep 6) | Mon (Sep 7) | Tue (Sep 8) | Wed (Sep 9) | Thu (Sep 10) | Fri (Sep 11) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | Showers/thundershowers, 9°–21° | Showers/thundershowers, 12°–20° | Rain showers, 13°–17° | Cloudy, 11°–20° | Cloudy, 11°–23° | Partly cloudy, 13°–24° | Mostly clear, 14°–25° |
| Pretoria/Tshwane | Showers/thundershowers, 12°–23° | Showers/thundershowers, 14°–23° | Rain showers, 14°–20° | Cloudy, 13°–22° | Cloudy, 13°–24° | Partly cloudy, 14°–25° | Mostly clear, 15°–27° |
| Durban | Slight rain, 17°–18° | Rain showers, 17°–18° | Slight rain, 17°–20° | Partly cloudy, 17°–22° | Partly cloudy, 18°–23° | Partly cloudy, 19°–23° | Slight rain, 20°–22° |
| Cape Town | Clear skies, 12°–25° | Clear skies, 11°–26° | Clear skies, 13°–25° | Clear skies, 16°–26° | Partly cloudy, 15°–22° | Cloudy, 14°–19° | Cloudy, 14°–19° |
| Gqeberha | Cloudy, 13°–19° | Drizzle, 13°–19° | Partly cloudy, 16°–23° | Cloudy, 16°–25° | Cloudy, 19°–26° | Cloudy, 16°–21° | Rain showers, 17°–19° |
| East London | Slight rain, 14°–19° | Slight rain, 15°–18° | Cloudy, 16°–20° | Cloudy, 17°–24° | Partly cloudy, 18°–25° | Cloudy, 17°–24° | Rain showers, 18°–20° |
| Bloemfontein | Showers/thundershowers, 9°–21° | Showers/thundershowers, 12°–20° | Showers/thundershowers, 13°–19° | Partly cloudy, 12°–23° | Partly cloudy, 12°–25° | Partly cloudy, 13°–26° | High-level clouds, n/a |
| Mahikeng | Showers/thundershowers, 14°–21° | Showers/thundershowers, 14°–18° | Slight rain, 14°–20° | Cloudy, 13°–22° | Partly cloudy, 13°–24° | Partly cloudy, 13°–25° | Mostly clear, 14°–27° |
| Kimberley | Showers/thundershowers, 13°–23° | Showers/thundershowers, 13°–20° | Cloudy, 13°–21° | Partly cloudy, 13°–24° | Partly cloudy, 14°–26° | Partly cloudy, 15°–27° | Partly cloudy, 17°–28° |
| Pietermaritzburg | Slight rain, 10°–19° | Rain showers, 9°–16° | Slight rain, 10°–17° | Partly cloudy, 10°–26° | Partly cloudy, 10°–29° | Partly cloudy, 13°–31° | Slight rain, 15°–27° |
| Mbombela/Nelspruit | Showers/thundershowers, 12°–21° | Showers/thundershowers, 13°–17° | Rain showers, 13°–16° | Cloudy, 12°–20° | Cloudy, 12°–23° | Partly cloudy, 12°–27° | Mostly clear, 12°–29° |
