Strange wind puzzles weatherman
2003-03-19 23:42
Cape Town - The strong Southeaster which has been raging across the Peninsula for the past month has been blowing for longer than it normally does.
"We have had a reasonable quota of gales over the past month. Although not altogether abnormal, it now appears the season has been going for a bit longer than normal," said Niek Koegelenberg Cape weather station predictor.
The windy season normally starts in October and ends in February.
The wind blowing in places at speeds of 60km/h will subside by Friday but will pick up speed by Saturday afternoon.
Koegelenberg ascribed the wind to a combination of strong high pressure systems moving through the Peninsula on the back of cold fronts.
He added that although the Western Cape is going into autumn a few hot days can still be expected well into May.
Maximum temperatures of 25° are expected for Friday and 26° for Paarl.
Huge disruptions occurred in the Free State this week when a tornado struck Theunissen ripping off roofs.
Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal small stock farmers have been warned to take precautions to protect their stock against bitter cold weather. Cold, wet winter conditions are being experienced over certain high-lying areas.