Cold spell not 'early winter'

2003-03-26 21:40

Pretoria- The cold and rainy spell affecting most of the country since the weekend does not signal the onset of an early and wet winter, the SA Weather Service said on Wednesday.

Meteorologist Evert Scholtz said temperatures were expected to begin rising by Thursday.

He said the cold front causing flooding and even snow in places in the last few days was unusual for this time of the year.

"We had snow in the past as early as January 1, but snow in March is just as exceptional."

Snow fell on mountains in the eastern and Western Cape, as far north as the Tiffindell Ski Resort outside Grahamstown.

An employee at the resort said it only stopped snowing there on Tuesday night, but conditions were still "pretty chilly".

Agro-meteorologist Johan van den Berg said: "Present indications are still that winter will be drier than usual, with no early spring rains in the offing."

Van den Berg estimated that 60% or more of the national maize crop benefited from the unexpected rains of the past week or two.

Wheat farmers in the Free State and Northern Cape were especially happy. Were it not for the rains, many of them would not have been able to plant this season's crop.

The wet weather should also be a significant boost for the growth of bushy range land in extensive stock farming areas of the Karoo, Van den Berg said.

- SAPA