South Africa braces for bitter cold front hitting Gauteng and Eastern Cape

The South African Weather Service warned that a cold front and cut‑off low will bring bitter cold to Gauteng and the Eastern Cape early next week. In Gauteng, daytime temperatures are expected to stay between 10 °C and 17 °C with a very low chance of snow, only possible sleet or light snow. The Eastern Cape could see disruptive snowfall in mountainous areas, damaging winds, thunderstorms, rough seas and hazardous wave conditions.

The system will also affect KwaZulu‑Natal, the Free State and the North West, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and a risk of localized flooding from Sunday. Forecasts call for fog patches in interior regions, morning frost in Bloemfontein, and generally cool, fine weather elsewhere. The UV‑B sunburn index is expected to be very high in coastal zones.

Forecaster Tokelo Chiloane emphasized that the main concern is the cold snap rather than snow, and warned residents to prepare for lower temperatures and possible wind‑related hazards.