Some like it hot … but northern SA is just too darn hot

A heatwave is expected in Gauteng, the Mpumalanga highveld and the southwestern bushveld of Limpopo until the end of Tuesday, the SA Weather Service (Saws) said on Monday.

This is before the onset of the summer rainfall season, which is forecast to bring significant rainfall in the northeastern parts of the country, similar to 2021.

Senior forecaster Puseletso Mofokeng said Pretoria and Vereeniging would be the hottest areas in Gauteng, with a predicted maximum temperature of 35°C.

“In the lowveld, Sekhukhune will see a maximum of 39°C. I think that will be the hottest area,” he said. 

High temperatures are also set for Musina (38°C); Lephalale (37°C); Tzaneen (36°C); Potchefstroom (36°C); Vryburg (36°C); Rustenburg (37°C); Mahikeng (35°C); Bloemfontein (35°C); Upington (35°C); and Kimberley (36°C).

Parts of KwaZulu-Natal are also baking on Monday, with a maximum of 39°C in Pietermaritzburg and 37°C forecast for Richards Bay.

Mofokeng advised residents to drink water regularly and try to avoid direct sunlight.

“Moving forward, we are still in the La Niña phase, which is supportive of rainfall. We expect more rainfall as we move to the summer months, especially late November, December and January — these are the months where we are going to see most of the rainfall.”

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