Snow Alert: Gauteng braces for rare winter wonderland
· Citizen
Gauteng is once again being teased about possible snowfall, with reports that the province could be covered in white late on Monday or Tuesday, as anticipation and excitement grow amid the freezing weather conditions.
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The last time it snowed in Johannesburg, Gauteng, was on 10 July 2023, when the South African Weather Service (Saws) confirmed that various parts of the province were covered in snow, creating a winter wonderland.
Snow in Gauteng
While many hope that the province would be lucky, with Johannesburg or the Gauteng province seeing any snow, according to Gauteng Weather, that may just be a possibility.
“Alert: snow possible in parts of Gauteng, with some models forecasting 10cm+ in places. Area: Southern and Eastern Gauteng province, including Johannesburg,” said the service.
However, it also issued a warning for damaging winds, with speeds of up to 45km/h and the possibility of damage to infrastructure.
Cold front
Gauteng has also been forecast to be cloudy and cold with scattered showers and thundershowers. Light snowfall can be expected in the south in the evening.
According to Gauteng Weather, the worst of the cold snap in the province is expected on Tuesday, with maximum temperatures at multi-year lows and snow possible in places.
Johannesburg has been forecast at a minimum of 1°C and a high of 4°C. Vereeniging is expected to be freezing at 0°C with a high of 5°C, while Pretoria will see the mercury dip to a minimum of 3°C and a high of 7°C
Show in other parts
Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape and several other parts of South Africa experienced snowfall on Monday, with the wintry conditions expected to persist into Tuesday.
South Africa’s weather forecaster warned that heavy snowfall is likely in parts of the Eastern Cape, while freezing temperatures, icy roads and hazardous travel conditions are expected to continue in affected areas.
Warning
The Saws has also issued a level 6 warning for disruptive snowfall expected over the Chris Hani District, as well as the Senqu, Elundini and Matatiele municipalities in the Eastern Cape.
The heavy snow could disrupt livelihoods, cause major traffic delays and leave some communities temporarily cut off.
A warning for light snowfall was also issued for parts of the Eastern Cape, the eastern and southern Free State along the Lesotho border, and the western parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
The snowfall is expected to cause localised traffic disruptions, isolated losses of livestock and crops, and interruptions to essential services.