Level 4 weather warning: Thunderstorms to hit Eastern Cape on Thursday

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued a Yellow Level 4 weather warning for thunderstorms in the Eastern Cape, on Wednesday, 2 February. The eastern parts of the province will be affected by the inclement weather from mid-morning until midnight.

LEVEL 4 WEATHER WARNING

The weather service said the weather warning is the result of a surface trough with an upper air trough and a ridging high, which will bring severe thunderstorms to the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape.
The affected district municipalities include Amathole, OR Tambo, Alfred Nzo, Joe Gqabi and the eastern half of Chris Hani.

“High levels of tropical moisture, as well as undercutting of moisture from the ridging high, will later likely lead to heavy downpours,” said the weather service.

The warning is valid from 11:00 until 23:59 on Thursday, 3 February.
The potential impacts include:

• Damage to infrastructure, settlements, property and vehicles.
• Flooding of bridges, low-lying areas and susceptible roads.
• Disruption to the electricity supply and communication services.

The Eastern Cape was battered by severe weather at the tail end of 2021. The worst incident – a hailstorm – led to the death of six people and the hospitalisation of more than 19.
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