SA in for big freeze
2006-07-21 10:17
Johannesburg - The South African Weather Service has warned that nasty weather conditions due to a combination of rain and windy conditions can be expected this weekend.
Heavy rain is expected over the south-western part of the country, while very cold conditions are expected over the western part of the country.
Snowfalls are expected on the Boland and Hex River mountains on Friday night.
Gale force westerly to south-westerly winds are expected along the coast between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas on Friday morning.
Very rough seas with wave heights exceeding 5m are expected between Cape Columbine and Port Elizabeth, on Friday evening, it said.
Snowfalls, heavy at times, on the high grounds of the Eastern Cape and the Swartberg mountains of the Western Cape are expected on Saturday and Sunday.
Heavy snowfalls expected
Very rough seas will persist on Sunday between Cape Agulhas and Port Alfred, moderating from the west.
Very cold and wet weather is expected to set in over the Western Cape late on Friday, with snow falls over the Boland and Hex River mountains, as a cold front, with a well-developed upper air trough, moves over the south-western parts of the country.
These conditions will spread rapidly to the southern parts of the
Northern Cape, the Eastern Cape, southern Free State and Lesotho on Saturday, when the upper air trough develops into a cut-off low pressure system over the southern part of the country.
Snowfalls are expected on the high grounds of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Lesotho and the south-east Free State on Saturday and Sunday.
Heavy snowfalls are expected over the high ground of the Eastern Cape on Saturday and Sunday. Motorists are advised to plan their routes accordingly.
Cold weather with isolated showers is expected over the rest of the Free State, North-west Province, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga on Saturday. Very cold conditions will persist over the eastern high grounds on Sunday as the snowfalls clear from the west.