Wednesday's weather: Rainy and cold conditions forecast for multiple provinces | News24 (2025)

Scattered showers and thundershowers are expected across multiple provinces, with widespread rainfall in specific areas. (Ali Majdfar/Getty Images)

Scattered showers and thundershowers are expected across multiple provinces, with widespread rainfall in specific areas, according to theSouth African Weather Service (SAWS).

Morning fog in certain provinces might reduce visibility, while cold to very cold conditions are expected in some regions, especially in the central and southern parts of the country.

Impact-based warnings

Orange Level 5 warning: Severe thunderstorms resulting in heavy downpours leading to flooding of roads and bridges, damage to property and infrastructure as well as agricultural activities are expected over the eastern parts of Free State.

Yellow Level 4 warning: Severe thunderstorms resulting in heavy downpours leading to localised flooding of roads and bridges, large amounts of small hail and excessive lightning are expected over the western parts of KwaZulu-Natal, extreme southern Highveld of Mpumalanga and Gauteng.

Yellow Level 2 warning: Severe thunderstorms leading to localised damage to settlements and localised flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas and bridges are expected over the northeastern parts of the Northern Cape, Free State and North West.

Yellow Level 1 warning: Severe thunderstorms resulting in possible strong winds, heavy downpours, hail and excessive lightning are expected over the northeastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal in the early morning.

WHAT IS AN IMPACT-BASED WEATHER WARNING?
How often do you come across news reports suggesting that the South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued an Impact-Based Weather Warning of a certain level and a particular colour-coding? What does it mean?
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— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) April 15, 2025

In the SAWS' colour-coded weather warning system, yellow indicates a moderate risk of impact that requires caution and awareness, while orange indicates that higher-risk impact is expected, requiring increased attention and preparation.

SAWS uses the numbers to indicate the likelihood of weather-based impacts occurring. Level 2 is high, Level 4 is low, and Level 5 is medium.

Advisories

Cold and wet conditions are expected over the central and western parts of KwaZulu-Natal until Thursday, but very cold over the southwestern high grounds where light snowfall is possible.

The weather in your province

Gauteng: Expect a warm day in the north, but the rest of the province will experience cloudy and cool conditions. Scattered showers and thundershowers are expected, becoming widespread in the southwest.

Pretoria: 14°C — 23°C

Johannesburg: 13°C — 21°C

Vereeniging: 13°C — 19°C

Rustenburg: 15°C — 26°C

Vryburg: 14°C — 19°C

Free State: It will be cloudy with cool to cold conditions. Scattered showers and thundershowers are expected throughout the province, with heavier rainfall expected in the east.

Bloemfontein: 13°C — 18°C

Welkom: 14°C — 16°C

Bethlehem: 10°C — 14°C

Northern Cape: Along the coast, expect morning fog patches that might reduce visibility. Cool to cold temperatures will dominate most regions, with isolated showers and thundershowers in central parts and scattered ones in the east.

However, warmer conditions are expected in the north. Coastal areas will experience light and variable winds that will strengthen to moderate or fresh southerly to south-easterly winds later in the day.

Upington: 16°C — 25°C

Kimberley: 14°C — 20°C

De Aar: 11°C — 21°C

Alexander Bay: 13°C — 22°C

Springbok: 10°C — 21°C

Calvinia: 10°C — 19°C

Sutherland: 7°C — 12°C

Western Cape: Fog patches are likely along the West Coast in the morning. The day will be cloudy to partly cloudy and range from cool to warm. Isolated showers and thundershowers are predicted over the northeastern parts of the province.

Coastal areas will see light and variable winds in the morning, changing to fresh or strong southerly to south-easterly during the day.

Cape Town: 14°C — 23°C

Vredendal: 12°C — 26°C

Riversdale: 11°C — 21°C

George: 12°C — 18°C

Worcester: 11°C — 22°C

Beaufort West: 11°C — 17°C

Oudtshoorn: 10°C — 21°C

Western half of Eastern Cape: Cloudy and ranging from cold to cool for the day. Scattered showers and rain are expected, with only isolated rainfall in the extreme western areas. Coastal winds will be light to moderate easterly, shifting to south-westerly from the west during the evening.

Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Conditions will be predominantly cloudy and cold, with scattered showers and rain throughout. Coastal winds will begin light to moderate north-easterly and strengthen in places.

Gqeberha: 15°C — 19°C

Makhanda: 13°C — 17°C

Cradock: 11°C — 17°C

Graaff-Reinet: 12°C — 16°C

East London: 15°C — 20°C

Port St Johns: 15°C — 19°C

Mthatha: 11°C — 17°C

Komani: 10°C — 16°C

Qonce: 13°C — 18°C

KwaZulu-Natal: Expect a cool day along the coast and northeast, with the rest of the province remaining cloudy and cold. Very cold temperatures are forecast in the extreme southwest. Scattered showers and thundershowers will affect most areas, with widespread rainfall in the west and isolated storms in the northeast.

Coastal winds will be light to moderate southerly to south-easterly, turning fresh in some areas in the north.

Durban: 19°C — 21°C

Richard's Bay: 19°C — 21°C

Pietermaritzburg: 14°C — 16°C

Ladysmith: 13°C — 15°C

*This weather report was written with the support of Toqan AI.