Severe Weather to Hit Multiple Provinces, SAWS Warns Residents

• The SA Weather Service issued a Yellow Level 4 warning for severe thunderstorms affecting three provinces from 4 to 5 November 2026
• Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga residents faced risks including flooding, travel disruptions, hail and danger to life
• The warning came as extreme heat also battered several other provinces across South Africa on the same day

The SA Weather Service raised the alarm on 4 November 2026, placing Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga under a Yellow Level 4 warning for severe thunderstorms. The alert came into effect at 14:00 on Wednesday and remained valid through to 23:59 on Thursday, 5 November 2026.

Extreme weather may cause serious potential consequences for residents across all three provinces. Risks include injuries and danger to life, infrastructure damage, flooded roads, travel disruptions, community displacement, and threats from fast-flowing streams and deep water. Large amounts of small hail over populated areas were also listed as a concern.

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A Yellow Level 4 alert from the SA Weather Service signals that severe weather is expected and that residents should take precautions. It sits in the mid-range of the warning system but should not be taken lightly, particularly when combined with the range of impacts listed. Communities in low-lying areas and near rivers were at particular risk of flooding and displacement during the validity period. Residents in the affected provinces were advised to avoid unnecessary travel, stay clear of flooded roads and swollen streams, and secure any loose outdoor structures ahead of the storms. See the original warning posted by @SAWeatherService below:

Extreme heat and storms strain provinces

Wednesday and Thursday split South Africa's weather picture. While Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga brace for violent storms, other provinces expect extreme heat and wind, adding further strain to communities already navigating a difficult summer season.

The combination of severe thunderstorms and intense heat across different parts of the country underscored the volatility of the spring-to-summer transition period in South Africa. The SA Weather Service continues to monitor conditions and advises South Africans to check for updated warnings before travelling.

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Other Briefly News stories on severe weather systems

• Violent spring thunderstorms battered Pretoria and broader Gauteng, bringing torrential downpours, localised flash flooding, and damaging hailstones up to the size of golf balls across multiple suburbs including Pretoria East, Nellmapius, and Atteridgeville.
• The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) confirmed that the death toll from extreme storms, torrential rains, and flash floods climbed nationwide, prompting a national disaster declaration across six provinces.
• A viral video filmed near D.F. Malan Street in the Cape Town CBD captured pedestrians struggling to remain upright and being physically pushed backwards across pedestrian crossings by gale-force gusts.

Source: Briefly News