If you’ve stood in front of your closet this morning wondering whether to grab a raincoat, a jacket, or a t-shirt, you’re not alone.
Weather across South Africa is serving a full menu of conditions—from thunder and showers to fog and even a chance of snow.
Here’s your province-by-province guide to today’s weather, plus some fun facts you might not know about each region.
Gauteng: Cool and Cloudy with Thunder in the Mix
Forecast: Expect cloudy skies with cool temperatures and widespread showers and thundershowers.
UVB Sunburn Index: High – don’t forget your sunscreen!
Quick Facts:
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Gauteng is South Africa’s smallest province by land size.
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Despite its size, it’s the most populated with around 16 million people.
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Johannesburg is the administrative capital.
Mpumalanga: Rainy and Cool—Except for a Toasty Lowveld
Forecast: Mostly cloudy and cool to cold, with scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers. In the Lowveld, it’ll be warmer with only isolated showers.
Quick Facts:
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It’s the second smallest province in size.
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Home to about 4.7 million residents.
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Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit) is the capital city.
Limpopo: Cloudy With a Split Personality
Forecast: Cloudy and cool across much of the province. Expect widespread rain in the southwest and scattered showers elsewhere. It’ll be warmer in the Lowveld and Limpopo Valley.
Quick Facts:
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Limpopo ranks fifth in both size and population.
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Around 5.9 million people live here.
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Polokwane is the capital city.
North West: Showers Taking Over the East
Forecast: Cloudy and cool conditions with isolated to scattered showers. The eastern part may see more widespread rainfall and storms.
Quick Facts:
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It’s the sixth largest province.
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Population sits at approximately 4.2 million.
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Mahikeng is the capital.
Free State: Chilly with Widespread Showers in the East
Forecast: Mostly cloudy and cool, with scattered thunderstorms over much of the region. It will feel particularly cold near the Lesotho border.
Quick Facts:
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Third largest in land area.
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Second smallest by population, with around 2.9 million people.
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Bloemfontein, the judicial capital of South Africa, is located here.
Northern Cape: The Giant with a Tiny Population
Forecast: Expect fog in coastal areas during morning and evening. Otherwise, it’ll be partly cloudy and cool with isolated thunderstorms in the east and clear skies in the northwest.
Wind: Coastal winds will start off light but will pick up from the south later in the day.
Quick Facts:
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This is South Africa’s largest province by area.
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It’s also the least populated, with just about 1.3 million residents.
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Kimberley is the capital city.
Western Cape: Foggy Mornings and Warm Inland Afternoons
Forecast: Morning fog in some areas, clearing to partly cloudy and cool conditions.
The western interior will feel warmer.
Wind: Light winds shifting to southerly or south-easterly by afternoon.
South-westerlies expected along the west coast.
UVB Sunburn Index: High – stay protected!
Quick Facts:
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Fourth largest in size.
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Third most populous, with around 7.2 million people.
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Cape Town is the provincial capital.
Eastern Cape: Wet Weather All Around
Western Half: Cloudy and cool, with scattered showers and possible thundershowers.
Eastern Half: Cloudy and cold with widespread rain, especially along the coast.
Wind: Eastern coastal winds will vary, with stronger gusts expected in some areas.
Quick Facts:
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The second largest province by area.
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Home to roughly 6.7 million people.
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The capital is Bhisho.
KwaZulu-Natal: Cold with a Chance of Snow
Forecast: Cloudy and cold with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Some high-lying areas in the southwest may even see light snowfall.
Wind: Coastal winds will be light to moderate from different directions, becoming fresh in places south of Richards Bay.
UVB Sunburn Index: Low
Quick Facts:
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Seventh in land area.
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Second most populous with 11.5 million people.
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The capital city is Pietermaritzburg.
Weather Alerts You Should Know About
⚠️ Impact-Based Warnings:
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Orange Level 5: Severe thunderstorms causing flooding and damage expected in parts of Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and North West.
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Yellow Level 4: Heavy rain, hail, and lightning likely in northern Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga Highveld, and KwaZulu-Natal.
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Yellow Level 2 (Severe Storms): Watch out in parts of Free State, North West, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga.
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Yellow Level 2 (Disruptive Rain): Flooding possible along Eastern Cape’s coast and interior.
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Fire Danger Warnings:
None for today.
Weather Advisory:
Cold and wet weather continues across much of KwaZulu-Natal, with the possibility of light snowfall in higher areas until tomorrow.