South African Weather Service issues alerts as storms and heat strike opposite ends of country.
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South Africa faces sharply contrasting weather on Friday, with severe thunderstorms expected over the central and northern interior, while parts of the Western and Northern Cape endure a lingering heatwave.
The South African Weather Service has issued a Yellow Level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms covering a broad band from Upington through Kimberley, Bloemfontein, Welkom, and Johannesburg to Pretoria and Bethlehem.
These storms could bring localised flooding of low-lying areas and roads, damaging winds, heavy downpours, excessive lightning, and hail.
Rainfall chances range from 60% scattered showers and thundershowers across the central interior to 80% widespread rain in parts of the Free State, North West, and Gauteng.
In the Western Cape, a Yellow Level 1 alert warns of damaging coastal winds between Cape Columbine and Cape Agulhas, posing navigation risks for small vessels.
Further inland, heatwave conditions persist across the West Coast, City of Cape Town, and Cape Winelands, with maximum temperatures in the low to high 30s expected through the weekend.
Meanwhile, the eastern parts of the country, including KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, will see lighter rainfall activity with a 30% chance of isolated showers.
Residents are urged to stay alert for severe weather conditions, take precautions against flooding, and avoid prolonged exposure to heat in the western regions.
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