Disruptive rain, severe thunderstorms, and strong winds are expected in parts of Limpopo, with damaging winds in Alexander Bay and Cape Columbine.
Nazli Zeynep Karabulut/Anadolu via Getty Images
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned of disruptive rain, severe thunderstorms and strong winds, which may lead to flooding of roads and damage to infrastructure in parts of Limpopo and damaging winds in Alexander Bay and Cape Columbine. Showers and some thundershowers can be expected in the Free State, North West and KwaZulu-Natal.
Impact-based warnings
Yellow Level 2 Warning: Disruptive rain in the eastern and northern parts of Limpopo may cause localised flooding of roads, settlements, and low-lying areas. Major roads may experience delays but remain passable.
Yellow Level 2 Warning: Severe thunderstorms in the south-western parts of Limpopo could lead to localised flooding, hail, and damage to infrastructure due to strong winds.
Yellow Level 1 Warning: Damaging coastal winds between Alexander Bay and Cape Columbine in the morning, spreading to Cape Point in the afternoon, may make sea navigation difficult.
In the SAWS’ colour-coded weather warning system, yellow indicates a moderate risk of impact that requires caution and awareness, while orange indicates that a higher-risk impact is expected, requiring increased attention and preparation.
Weather forecast for today & tomorrow, 18 – 19 Jan 2026.
Partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated to scattered thunderstorms expected over the central and eastern parts, otherwise fine and hot to very hot in places.
Heavy rain is easing over the north-eastern parts.#saws pic.twitter.com/Lg1j5hTOGR
— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) January 18, 2026
The SAWS uses the numbers to indicate the likelihood of weather-based impacts occurring. Levels 2 and 6 are high, and Level 4 is low. Level 9 is medium.
The weather in your province
Gauteng: Cloudy and cool to warm, becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon.
– Pretoria: 16°C — 26°C
– Johannesburg: 15°C — 24°C
– Vereeniging: 15°C — 26°C
Mpumalanga: Partly cloudy over the Highveld initially, otherwise cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers. Scattered showers are expected in the extreme north-west.
– Mbombela: 19°C — 24°C
– Ermelo: 13°C — 20°C
– Emalahleni: 16°C — 23°C
– Standerton: 15°C — 21°C
– Skukuza: 21°C — 27°C
Limpopo: Cloudy and warm with scattered showers and thundershowers, except for isolated showers in the extreme south-east.
– Polokwane: 18°C — 23°C
– Phalaborwa: 20°C — 24°C
– Tzaneen: 19°C — 21°C
– Musina: 22°C — 24°C
– Lephalale: 23°C — 25°C
– Mokopane: 21°C — 24°C
North West: Partly cloudy and warm to hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers in the central and eastern parts. Scattered showers are expected in the extreme east, where it will be cloudy.
– Klerksdorp: 17°C — 32°C
– Potchefstroom: 17°C — 29°C
– Mahikeng: 18°C — 31°C
– Rustenburg: 19°C — 28°C
– Vryburg: 14°C — 34°C
Free State: Morning fog patches in the east, otherwise partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the extreme north west.
– Bloemfontein: 15°C — 33°C
– Welkom: 17°C — 33°C
– Bethlehem: 12°C — 29°C
Northern Cape: Fine and warm to hot, but cool over the Richtersveld municipality. Coastal winds will be fresh to strong southerly to south-easterly.
– Upington: 15°C — 35°C
– Kimberley: 16°C — 34°C
– De Aar: 13°C — 31°C
– Alexander Bay: 15°C — 24°C
– Springbok: 15°C — 30°C
– Calvinia: 09°C — 29°C
– Sutherland: 05°C — 27°C
Western Cape: Partly cloudy in the central and eastern parts initially, otherwise fine and cool to warm, but hot over the northern parts of the West Coast district. The south coast will become partly cloudy in the evening. Coastal winds will be light south-westerly along the south coast, otherwise fresh to strong southerly to south-easterly.
– Cape Town: 15°C — 24°C
– Vredendal: 14°C — 31°C
– Riversdale: 11°C — 27°C
– George: 16°C — 22°C
– Worcester: 13°C — 30°C
– Beaufort West: 12°C — 29°C
– Oudtshoorn: 11°C — 29°C
Western half of the Eastern Cape: Partly cloudy, becoming fine and warm. Coastal winds will be light to moderate south-westerly.
Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Partly cloudy in the west initially, otherwise cloudy and cool to warm with light rain along the Wild Coast and adjacent interior. Isolated thunderstorms are expected in the north-east interior. Coastal winds will be light south-westerly, turning southerly to south-easterly along the northern coastline.
– Gqeberha: 14°C — 26°C
– Makhanda: 10°C — 27°C
– Cradock: 08°C — 32°C
– Graaff-Reinet: 09°C — 30°C
– East London: 15°C — 25°C
– Port St Johns: 15°C — 25°C
– Mthatha: 11°C — 21°C
– Komani: 10°C — 26°C
– Qonce: 10°C — 27°C
KwaZulu-Natal: Cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered along the coast and adjacent interior. Coastal winds will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-westerly, becoming strong north of Richards Bay.
– Durban: 17°C — 24°C
– Richard’s Bay: 18°C — 25°C
– Pietermaritzburg: 11°C — 22°C
– Ladysmith: 12°C — 26°C
*This weather report was written with the support of Toqan AI.
