Snow in Spring? Cold weather warning for Eastern Cape

A cold snap is expected to sweep through the Eastern Cape region of South Africa this Friday, the South African Weather Service (Saws) has warned. Despite spring having arrived nationwide, Saws predicts light snowfall in some northeastern parts of the province, with accumulation reaching 5cm to 10cm. The cold and wet weather conditions could disrupt travel, as roads are likely to become icy due to a combination of rain and snow.

The Saws has issued a yellow level 2 warning for the Matatiele and Elundini local municipalities, where driving conditions are expected to be difficult, posing a risk to both motorists and livestock. Over the weekend, the weather outlook suggests partly cloudy and chilly to cool conditions across the Eastern Cape, with isolated to scattered showers and even thunderstorms possible.

The Saws has cautioned that these showers could lead to flooding in several areas, including settlements, roads, and bridges in the Port St Johns, Ingquza Hill, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, and Ntabankulu local municipalities. Furthermore, power and communication disruptions may occur in coastal regions, with potential flooding also occurring between KuGompo City and Port St Johns, particularly in the extreme northeastern interior of the province.

Heavy rainfall has been forecast for neighboring provinces such as the Northern Cape, Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal.