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:

Gauteng is South Africa’s smallest province by land size.
Despite its size, it’s the most populated with around 16 million people.
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:

It’s the second smallest province in size.
Home to about 4.7 million residents.
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:

Limpopo ranks fifth in both size and population.
Around 5.9 million people live here.
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:

It’s the sixth largest province.
Population sits at approximately 4.2 million.
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:

Third largest in land area.
Second smallest by population, with around 2.9 million people.
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:

This is South Africa’s largest province by area.
It’s also the least populated, with just about 1.3 million residents.
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:

Fourth largest in size.
Third most populous, with around 7.2 million people.
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:

The second largest province by area.
Home to roughly 6.7 million people.
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:

Seventh in land area.
Second most populous with 11.5 million people.
The capital city is Pietermaritzburg.

Weather Alerts You Should Know About

⚠️ Impact-Based Warnings:

Orange Level 5: Severe thunderstorms causing flooding and damage expected in parts of Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and North West.
Yellow Level 4: Heavy rain, hail, and lightning likely in northern Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga Highveld, and KwaZulu-Natal.
Yellow Level 2 (Severe Storms): Watch out in parts of Free State, North West, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga.
Yellow Level 2 (Disruptive Rain): Flooding possible along Eastern Cape’s coast and interior.
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.