South Africans are bracing for a sharp turn in the weather, with many already feeling the first bite of winter as cold conditions settle in across parts of the country.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned that a powerful cut-off low-pressure system is expected to bring cold, wet and windy weather to large parts of the country from Monday through Thursday.
“The South African Weather Service wishes to inform the public of an approaching period of cold, wet, and windy weather conditions expected to affect large parts of the country from Monday, 4 May 2026, through to Thursday, 7 May 2026,” the weather service said.
According to SAWS, the system is expected to make landfall over the western parts of South Africa from Tuesday morning, first affecting the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape before spreading eastward across the country’s central and eastern interior.
For many South Africans, today’s cold has already offered a glimpse of what may lie ahead. But forecasters say the worst impacts are still expected to unfold over the coming days, with widespread rain, severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and rough sea conditions all on the cards.
SAWS said rainfall could become particularly intense over parts of the Western and Eastern Cape, where some areas may record more than 100 to 200mm over 24 hours.
“Disruptive rainfall, leading to widespread flooding of roads and settlements, mudslides, major traffic disruptions, and damage to roads and bridges, is possible,” SAWS warned.
The weather service also flagged the risk of severe thunderstorms over parts of the Free State and North West, while disruptive snowfall remains possible over high-lying parts of the Western and Eastern Cape.
“Members of the public and stakeholders are strongly urged to continuously monitor official SAWS forecasts and warnings,” the agency said.