New Zealand Local Weather Forum
Weather Discussion => International => Topic started by: Mark on July 02, 2023, 07:55:22 PM
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Plunging lows and heavy snow are causing disruptions to mountain roads and railways connecting mountain communities from the southern Drakensberg to the Eastern Cape.
Livestock losses in western/northern regions have also been noted.
While wet and very cold conditions have spread to South Africa’s central provinces, too.
Much of Southern Africa is enduring a blast of anomalous cold this week, with the nations of Mauritius, Zambia and Mozambique recently coming close to besting monthly low temperature records for June.
Off shore, Madagascar and Reunion Island have also copped something of a ‘freeze’. Yesterday, a low of -1.1C (30F) at Plaine de Chicot –located in the Reunion Island mountains– did set a new June low temperature record
https://electroverse.info/cold-sets-in-across-south-africa-californias-deadly-cold-rivers-europe-warming-twice-as-fast-as-global-average/
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Southern Africa is enduring fierce freeze this week as a blast of polar air engulfs the likes of SA, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, as well as Angola, Zambia and Malawi.
Coastal regions are struggling to climb above 10C (50F), while at higher-elevations and inland, frosts are proving widespread, with reports of rare snowfall coming out of some unusual spots such as Zimbabwe and South Africa, such as Johannesburg.
GFS 2m Temperature Anomalies (C) July 10 – July 12 [tropicaltidbits.com].
Elaborating on the latter, snow has fallen on Johannesburg for the first time in more than a decade–since August 2012.
https://electroverse.info/southern-africa-freezes-rare-snow-johannesburg-summer-snows-india-aussies-hit-by-brutal-cold-snap/
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“Snow, snow and more snow in large parts of South Africa!”, reads a recent The South African headline.
“Snow doesn’t fall every day and South Africans are certainly feeling the cold as temperatures continue to plunge across the country,” reads the article’s opening lines.
SOUTH AFRICA ENDURING RECORD-BREAKING POLAR BLAST
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued snowfall warnings across many regions, namely for dangerous road conditions. Snow has been reported in the Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal mountain ranges.
Sutherland is one Northern Cape locale dealing with ‘heavy, low-level snow’, so reports snowreport.co.za.
While in the Western Cape, low-lying areas such as Swellendam, Greyont, Barrydale, George, and Matroosberg Reserve are also copping anomalous spring conditions.
The SA government has advised Mzansi to “be more cautious” in these unusually treacherous conditions.
“It will be an icy cold morning as the front is moving in,” so said VoxWeather’s Annette Botha.
GFS 2m Temperature Anomalies (C) Sept 12 [tropicaltidbits.com].
The cold is forecast to extend throughout the week, according to SAWS meteorologist Ishmael Moyo — a second cold front is expected to crash into the south of the country, one that could see thermometers drop to -5C (23F).
https://electroverse.info/sa-polar-blast-snow-colorado-argentina-3-3-feet-in-24hrs-cool-caledonia-cme/
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https://www.sott.net/article/487225-Six-dead-and-10-missing-after-Christmas-Eve-floods-in-Ladysmith-South-Africa
Limit Hill robots, in Ladysmith town. Six people are dead and 10 are missing.
Six people have died and 10 people are missing following floods that swept through Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal on Christmas Eve.
KZN department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs said search and rescue teams who worked on Christmas day to find those missing, will resume on Tuesday,
Heavy rains on December 24 resulted in the Bellspruit River, which runs under the Mbonontathu bridge, to burst its banks, causing water to overflow onto the N11 road near the Limit Hill robots, in Ladysmith town.
This resulted in severe damage to infrastructure, and several vehicles were swept away.
https://youtu.be/5czEkVPBWoY
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As forecast, South Africa's snow persisted through Tuesday, blanketing some unexpected regions.
A winter wonderland for some, a morning of chaos for others, reports timeslive.co.za, as heavy snowfall swept swathes of the country, including parts of the Northern Cape for the first time in 40 years.
This makes for the third-year running that South Africa has posted rare snows, following the Johannesburg flakes of 2023—a year that also endured record-breaking polar blast, the big snows of 2022, and the widespread snowstorms and record cold of 2021.
Historic dumpings also hit Southern Africa in 2018, with snow hitting areas that hadn't seen flakes in some 150 years...
The South Africa Weather Service (SAWS) issued a disruptive snow warning for Tuesday across high-lying parts of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, and Mother Nature delivered.
The below video by TrafficSA reveals blowing snow and disruptions on the N6:
“Eastern Cape - SNOW N6 Route: ROAD CLOSED through Penhoek pass“ — TrafficSA on X
https://electroverse.substack.com/p/snow-hits-parts-of-south-africa-for
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JUST as many Zululanders thought spring was firmly in their sights, winter returned with a chill today (Monday).
With Brackenham dropping to as low as 12.4 degrees Celsius, Richards Bay CBD 17 and eSikhaleni a more mild, yet still cold 17.8 degrees, the mercury failed to rise above 11 degrees in eShowe, while Hluhluwe reached 15 and Mtubatuba 14.
The cold temperatures brought rain across much of the Zululand region.
Elsewhere in KwaZulu-Natal, snow not only capped the Drakensberg mountain range, it covered Sani Pass in a thick white blanket, as seen in a video shared across social media platforms.
Winter has a habit of returning with a few 'last blasts' during September and October, so this weather is nothing out of the ordinary.
Temperatures are, however, set to rise over the coming days, peaking at 31 in Richards Bay on Friday, 29 in Empangeni on Friday, 27 in eShowe, 31 in Hluhluwe and 27 in Mtubatuba.
https://www.sott.net/article/494692-Zululanders-feel-the-chill-as-snow-blankets-Drakensberg-South-Africa
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The N3 Toll Route has been closed from Estcourt in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands to Harrismith in the Free State due to heavy snowfall.
This after the snowfall left motorists stranded in their vehicles and unable to move due to the thick snow on Friday evening.
Arrive Alive issued a warning to motorists to avoid Harrismith in the Free State and Howick in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
"In the interest of safety, all traffic is being stopped at Tugela Plaza in KwaZulu-Natal and the Harrismith South Interchange in the Free State. Where possible, vehicles are being turned around at strategic locations on the route."
https://www.sott.net/article/494961-Multiple-roads-closed-as-motorists-are-trapped-by-late-heavy-snowfall-in-South-Africa
https://youtu.be/bobUFwR8OAA
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Exceptionally heavy snow buried the higher elevations of South Africa on Saturday, stranding motorists as drifts topped 2 meters (6.6 feet) in some parts.
The storm, one of the heaviest in recent memory, affected multiple provinces, including Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, and Gauteng.
The N3 Toll Route, a major highway connecting Johannesburg and Durban, was shut down from Estcourt in KwaZulu-Natal to Harrismith in the Free State, as the thick snow rendered roads impassable.
Even detours became unusable, leaving many motorists trapped.
Emergency services struggled to reach stranded drivers, working through the night to provide assistance. "They have been working flat out through the night, attempting to reach as many road users as they can," a representative told France 24.
In some regions, snowdrifts reached 2 meters (6.6 feet), making travel almost impossible and rescue efforts difficult.
The snowfall also hit parts of Lesotho. Social media posts show vast areas of the landlocked Kingdom under significant accumulations of rare September snow:
https://electroverse.substack.com/p/heavy-september-snow-sweeps-south
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Following the heavy snows in September, South Africa has been hit again -- in November.
Summer snow blanketed parts of the Eastern Cape on Tuesday, bringing a wintry wonder to typically mild November days.
Among the affected areas were the mountainous stretches of Lootsberg Pass along the N9 between Middelburg and Graaff-Reinet, the Wapadsberg Pass, and parts of the N9 between Graaff-Reinet and Nxuba, according to local reports.
https://electroverse.substack.com/p/summer-snow-in-south-africa-cold
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South Africa is witnessing its first significant November snowfall in 85 years.
The Eastern Cape province, usually embracing warm summer conditions by now, it officially being summer, finds itself under a historic blanket of snow:
https://electroverse.substack.com/p/yakutias-deep-freeze-south-africas
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Tropical storm Dikeledi slammed into northern Mozambique Monday after leaving at least three people dead in Madagascar and triggering floods in the French territory of Mayotte.
The storm intensified as it reached Mozambique's coastal Nampula region, bringing destructive winds and torrential rains, according to French weather administration Meteo-France.
At least 120 people were killed in northern Mozambique in December when Cyclone Chido struck, after taking at least 39 lives in Mayotte where it injured more than 5,600 people and caused colossal damage.
Mozambique's National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) issued flood warnings for Dikeledi with forecasts of up to 200 millimetres (nearly eight inches) of rainfall in 24 hours and wind gusts of up to 180 kilometres (110 miles) per hour.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sgPS9XFktSc?feature=share
https://www.sott.net/article/497215-Tropical-Storm-Dikeledi-hits-Mozambique-after-leaving-at-least-3-dead-in-Madagascar-and-flooding-Mayotte
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A powerful cold front is sweeping across South Africa, sending temperatures tanking some 16C below normal.
The GFS anomaly map for May 21 shows deep cold gripping most of the country, with the heaviest anomalies over the Free State, Northern Cape, and Gauteng.
This level of cold in May is rare. Typically a transitional month, May sees average highs around 20C (68F) in Gauteng, but current forecasts suggest daytime temps may not exceed 10C (50F), with overnight lows nearing freezing.
The South African Weather Service flagged this front as unusually strong, and The Citizen warned Gauteng residents to expect “icy mornings” and biting wind chills. Snow is possible in higher elevations.
While mainstream headlines push relentless warming, real-world data tells a more complex story. Regional extremes like this highlight the role of natural variability—still very much in play.
https://electroverse.substack.com/p/south-africa-chills-canadian-prairies
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Windhoek, Namibia registered -7.9C (17.8F) this week, the coldest temperature ever recorded in the city—and one of the coldest reliably measured temperatures in the country’s history (a few remote alpine peaks have been mapped as colder).
The reading shatters the previous all-time low of -3C (26.6F) set in June 2011, and even beat August’s record of -3.9C (25F), considered the coldest month.
The city’s climate, classified as semi-arid, typically sees sharp day-night swings, but this plunge was extreme—around 15C (27F) below average. A powerful high-pressure system parked over southern Africa created the perfect setup: clear skies, calm winds, and intense nighttime radiative cooling.
And the cold didn’t stop at the Namibian border. In western Botswana, Ncojane recorded -5.1C (22.8F), another extreme low for a region where June nights typically stay above 4C (39F).
This frost event is rare and damaging. Neither crops nor infrastructure in these regions are built for sub-zero nights. Severe and widespread frost damage is likely.
As media narratives push warming dogma, Africa’s sunniest cities are freezing harder than ever before.
https://electroverse.substack.com/p/namibia-sets-all-time-record-cold
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At least 49 people have died in flooding in South Africa's Eastern Cape province after an extreme cold front brought heavy rain and snow to parts of the country, officials said Wednesday.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said police provided the death toll.
The dead include six high school students who were washed away when their school bus was caught in floodwaters near a river on Tuesday, Mabuyane told journalists. He said four other students were missing.
He said the death toll was likely to rise: "As we speak here, other bodies are being discovered."
Mabuyane's office had reported seven deaths in the floods on Tuesday.
https://www.sott.net/article/500070-At-least-78-people-have-died-in-flooding-in-South-Africa-officials-say-UPDATE
https://youtu.be/aN5VFWR8Ao0
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A rare June snowstorm that hit Lesotho and parts of South Africa was captured by NASA’s Terra satellite.
The image shows Lesotho almost entirely covered in snow, with spillover into South Africa’s Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Lesotho’s only ski resort, usually reliant on artificial snow, reported 30 cm (12 in) of fresh accumulation.
Roads were closed and power lines downed.
The event shattered decades-old weather records and disrupted life across not only South Africa, but also the likes of Namibia and Botswana.
Looking ahead, more of the same is forecast as June persists (see yesterday's article).
https://electroverse.substack.com/p/nasa-captures-lesotho-snow-earth
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Southern Africa is experiencing one of the most significant cold air incursions in recent memory, as a strong polar cold front has pushed unusually far north, covering large areas of Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa with bitterly cold temperatures, widespread frost, and disruptive snow in some regions.
Satellite Images Reveal Unprecedented Reach
At 12:30 UTC on Thursday, June 26th, satellite imagery confirmed the cold front's deep penetration well into central and southern Namibia, southwestern Botswana, and most parts of South Africa — a phenomenon rarely seen in recent years. This broad coverage of cold air is causing temperatures to plunge and weather conditions to deteriorate across a vast region.
Snow and Disruptive Cold in Eastern Cape and Surrounding Areas
The northern interior of the Eastern Cape is currently under snow warnings, with disruptive snowfall expected today. Combined with calm winds and clear skies overnight, conditions favor rapid cooling and ice formation. These factors, along with low humidity, have led to the development of widespread frost and very low temperatures.
Black Ice: A Hidden Hazard
One of the most dangerous threats from this cold spell is the formation of black ice — a thin, nearly invisible glaze of ice on roads, especially on mountain passes, bridges, and shaded areas. Black ice has been reported and is forecast to form in parts of Lesotho, the northern interior of the Eastern Cape, and the southern Free State. Motorists are strongly advised to exercise extreme caution, as black ice can cause severe accidents by catching drivers unaware.
Secondary Cold Front Brings More Rain and Wind
In addition to the primary cold front, a secondary cold front has moved over the southwestern parts of South Africa, bringing more rainfall and gusty winds. These conditions are expected to continue into Friday, with isolated showers lingering over the southwestern Cape.
Damaging winds and rough seas are forecast along the southeastern and eastern coasts of South Africa, posing risks to marine activities and coastal communities.
Temperature Contrast Across Regions
While interior regions are experiencing freezing to bitterly cold temperatures, areas ahead of the front — including Limpopo, eastern Mpumalanga, northern and eastern KwaZulu-Natal, and eSwatini — remain warm to very hot. This sharp temperature gradient highlights the dynamic and impactful nature of the cold front.
Frost Outlook Through the Weekend
Frost is expected to persist and even intensify in many interior areas through Sunday morning, including:
- Central and southern Namibia
- Southwestern Botswana
- Most of South Africa's interior (excluding coastal and northeastern regions)
Severe black frost is possible in parts of South Africa, especially in the Free State, Northern Cape, and Karoo interior. These conditions pose risks to agriculture, particularly frost-sensitive crops.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dzXWJfW7AdE?feature=share
https://www.sott.net/article/500337-Cold-front-sweeps-across-southern-Africa-Bitterly-cold-temperatures-disruptive-snow-and-widespread-frost-in-multiple-countries
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Nau Weather News
YouTube
Thu, 07 May 2026 19:20 UTC
mmmmm
Residents in South Africa's Northern Cape province woke up on Thursday, May 7, 2026, to rare snowfall after a strong cold front passed through the region. Cities like Richmond, Noupoort, and Colesberg recorded the heaviest snowfall, with roads and open spaces covered in white snow.
Further snowfall is possible from Saturday night into Monday in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, and Lesotho, with snow at low elevations currently indicated in some areas. Snowfall of more than 20 cm is also indicated at higher elevations in some areas marked in purple on the map, including the Hex River mountains between Ceres and De Doorns.
https://youtu.be/i5JB9A7WtmM?si=tn4dP8fOoEJJ2CSD