El Niño Heatwave Hits Gauteng, Northern Cape and Free State With Veld Fire Warning

• The South African Weather Service confirmed a heatwave has swept across Gauteng, the Northern Cape and the Free State
• Forecaster Tokelo Chiloane warned temperatures could exceed 40°C in parts of the country, with veld fires expected across the three provinces
• SAWS said the extreme heat is linked to El Niño conditions affecting Southern Africa and is likely the first of many such events this summer

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a heatwave warning for three of the country's provinces, with scorching temperatures expected to grip parts of South Africa through to Friday.

Gauteng, the Northern Cape and the Free State are all in the grip of dangerous heat, with forecasters warning that veld fires are likely to break out across these areas as conditions worsen.

El Niño driving extreme heat

SAWS forecaster Tokelo Chiloane attributed the conditions to the onset of El Niño across Southern Africa, warning that this summer could bring repeated bouts of extreme heat. Chiloane was direct about how severe the temperatures would get. Chiloane said:

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"It's gonna be bad, bad, with Upington reaching over 40 degrees, Vryburg reaching 38 degrees, and when we move to Gauteng province, we're looking at Pretoria reaching 34 degrees, as well as Joburg reaching 32 degrees and Vereeniging 33. There is a very high likelihood this is the first of many; looking at that, we are under the El Niño condition."

What South Africans should expect

Residents in the affected provinces are urged to prepare for prolonged heat over the coming days. The combination of high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds raises the risk of fast-spreading veld fires, particularly across the Northern Cape and Free State.

Chiloane made clear that South Africans should not treat this as an isolated event. With El Niño firmly established over the region, conditions like these are expected to become a recurring feature of the season ahead.

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Saws warns heatwave will continue across South Africa

• SA Weather Service issued a Yellow Level 4 warning for severe thunderstorms in Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, with flooding, hail and extreme heat elsewhere.
• SAWS forecasts temperatures of up to 40°C on Tuesday, with extremely high fire danger across four provinces and a very high UVB sunburn index in some areas.
• SAWS warns of severe thunderstorms, hail and localised flooding in KZN and the Eastern Cape, while damaging winds and high veldfire risks threaten the interior.

Source: Briefly News