Brace yourselves, South Africa! A powerful weather system is set to unleash its fury on November 5th, 2025, bringing with it a dangerous cocktail of heavy rain, destructive winds, and hail. But here's where it gets even more concerning: the South African Weather Service (SAWS) warns that these storms could wreak havoc on infrastructure, homes, and even livelihoods in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal.
And this is the part most people miss: while the focus is often on the dramatic thunderstorms, the Western Cape faces a different threat – persistent damaging winds until Friday, making navigation treacherous for small vessels.
Let's break down the details:
Impact-Based Warnings:
Yellow Level 2 Alert: Mpumalanga's Highveld, central Limpopo, and northwestern KwaZulu-Natal are under a severe thunderstorm warning. Expect intense downpours, damaging winds, and hail, potentially leading to localized flooding, property damage, and even injuries from flying debris.
Yellow Level 1 Alert: Mariners beware! Winds between Cape Columbine and Cape Agulhas in the Western Cape will make navigation challenging from Wednesday evening until Friday afternoon. Small boats are particularly vulnerable to capsizing.
Fire Danger: While some regions battle storms, the Northern Cape faces extreme fire danger conditions. Residents are urged to be extremely cautious.
Provincial Breakdown:
Gauteng: Partly cloudy and warm with afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Mpumalanga: Morning fog patches in the Highveld, otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm with scattered showers and thunderstorms, isolated in the Lowveld.
Limpopo: Partly cloudy in the southwest, cloudy elsewhere with cool to warm temperatures and isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms.
- North West: Partly cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thunderstorms, scattered in the extreme east.
Free State: Partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thunderstorms, scattered in the extreme east.
Northern Cape: Cloudy in the west with morning fog, clearing later. Partly cloudy and warm to hot elsewhere with isolated showers and thunderstorms in the northeast. Cool in the extreme northwest.
Western Cape: Cloudy with morning fog in the northwest, clearing to partly cloudy and warm to hot. Cloudy and cool in the south with light evening rain. Remember the extreme UVB index – protect yourself from the sun!
Eastern Cape (Western Half): Fine and warm, cooler along the coast. Clouding over with isolated showers and rain along the coast and inland.
Eastern Cape (Eastern Half): Cloudy with morning fog in places, partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thunderstorms.
KwaZulu-Natal: Cloudy with morning fog in the east, partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thunderstorms.
The Takeaway: This weather system demands our attention. Stay informed, follow official warnings, and take necessary precautions to stay safe. Remember, while we can't control the weather, we can control how we prepare for it.
What do you think? Are you prepared for the upcoming weather? Do you think South Africa is doing enough to prepare for extreme weather events? Let us know in the comments below!
