Friday's weather: High temperatures across SA, severe thunderstorms in some parts

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected in Northern Cape, Free State and Eastern Cape, with the South African Weather Service issuing a Yellow Level 1 for severe thunderstorms resulting in heavy downpours in North West and Limpopo.  

Impact-based warnings

A Yellow Level 1 for severe thunderstorms resulting in heavy downpours, excessive lightning, damaging winds and large amounts of small hail has been issued for the east of the North West and extreme south-western parts of Limpopo. 

Fire danger warnings

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over most parts of the Northern Cape, Central Karoo and Langeberg municipalities of the Western Cape, north-western parts of the Free State, and in places over the Dr Beyers Naude and Walter Sisulu municipalities of the Eastern Cape.

The weather in your region

Gauteng will be cloudy at first, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated evening showers and thundershowers.

The expected UVB sunburn index is high. 

It will be cloudy in the morning with fog patches over the southern and eastern Highveld of Mpumalanga, with early morning drizzle along the escarpment. Otherwise, partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated thundershowers over the western Highveld in the evening.

Limpopo will be cloudy in the morning with drizzle and fog patches along the escarpment and isolated to scattered morning showers in the Lowveld. Otherwise, partly cloudy and cool to warm, but hot in the south-western Bushveld where isolated evening thundershowers are expected.

It will be cloudy in the east at first in the North West, otherwise partly cloudy and hot to very hot. Isolated afternoon thundershowers are expected over the central and eastern parts.

Cloudy weather in the east of Free State at first where it will be warm, otherwise partly cloudy and hot. Isolated afternoon thundershowers are expected in the north-eastern parts.

Northern Cape will be fine and warm to hot, but cool along the coast. It will be very hot in the north. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly.

The Western Cape will be partly cloudy in places in the morning, otherwise fine and warm to hot but very hot in places over the interior.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh easterly to south-easterly, becoming light to moderate westerly to south-westerly from the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index is extreme. 

The western half of the Eastern Cape will be fine and hot, but very hot over the interior. The wind along the coast will be moderate north-easterly.

It will be fine and warm to hot in the eastern half of the province. The wind along the coast will be moderate north-easterly.

Morning fog can be expected in places over the interior and along the escarpment of KwaZulu-Natal, otherwise partly cloudy and warm but hot in places in the north-west.

The wind along the coast will be light south-easterly in the extreme north during the morning, otherwise fresh to strong north-easterly.

The expected UVB sunburn index is very high.