Following a week of widespread rain and persistent cloudy conditions over much of the summer rainfall region, the next few days will bring a situation more typical of normal summer conditions with isolated to scattered thundershowers and abundant sunshine.
Most of the interior will receive below-normal rainfall for this time of the year with conditions becoming more favorable for widespread rain only from the middle of next week and onwards.
The following is a summary of weather conditions during the next few days:
• General:
o The period will be relatively warm and dry especially over the interior.
o Precipitation will mostly be confined to the southern and far eastern parts of the country as well as the Highveld until the weekend.
o Most of the interior will be warmer than normal.
o The southern to western parts of the country are expected to be cooler than normal on average.
• Rainfall:
o Showers or thundershowers are possible until Sunday (15th) from the southern and eastern escarpment towards the southern and eastern coastal areas. These include most of the Boland and interior of the Western Cape, Karoo, Garden Route, KZN and eastern Mpumalanga.
o Isolated thundershowers are possible over the northeastern summer rainfall region on Thursday (12th). o Isolated thundershowers are possible over the Highveld on Friday and Saturday (13th and 14th).
o Light showers are possible over the winter rainfall region (mostly southern parts) on Friday and Saturday (13th and 14th).
o Isolated thundershowers are possible over the northern Highveld according to current forecasts by Monday (16th).
o Isolated to scattered thundershowers will develop over the western to central interior from Monday (16th) into next week.
o Light showers are possible over the winter rainfall region by Tuesday / Wednesday (17th / 18th).
• Temperatures:
o The interior of the Northern Cape and western parts of the Free State will be warm to hot and dry with fairly strong westerly to northwesterly winds until Saturday (14th).
o It will be hot to very hot and humid over the Limpopo River Valley and Lowveld during the weekend.
o Cool conditions with fairly strong southwesterly winds will invade the southwestern parts (including most of the Northern Cape) from Friday until Sunday.
o Cool to could conditions with southerly to southwesterly winds will invade the southern parts with minimum temperatures in the single digits during the weekend.
o Cool conditions will spread into KZN on Sunday (15th).
o Cool conditions will finally replace the hot weather over the northeastern parts of the country, according to current forecasts, by late Sunday and Monday (15th and 16th).
o Very hot, berg-wind conditions may develop over the western to southern interior, including the Eastern Cape and southern coastal areas by early next week.
Overview of expected conditions over South Africa during the next few days
Conditions in main agricultural production regions (11 - 17 December)
Maize production region:
Near-normal temperatures will dominate the region during the next few days. Isolated thundershowers are possible over the eastern parts until Saturday (14th). These will also spread over the central parts on Friday (13th). Current forecasts indicate the possibility of isolated thundershowers also developing over the western parts by early next week. Maximum temperatures over the western maize-production region will range between 25 and 32 °C. Minimums will be in the order of 14 - 20°C. Maximum temperatures over the eastern maize-production region will range between 22 and 29°C while minimums will be in the order of 12 - 15°C.
Cape Wine Lands and Ruens:
It will be warm to hot over the interior until Friday (13th). It will become cooler during the weekend when light showers are possible over most of the region. It may become hot over the West Coast (Berg-wind conditions) by early next week.
Possible extreme conditions - relevant to agriculture
According to current model projections (GFS model) of weather conditions during the coming week, the following may be deduced:
• Hot, dry and windy conditions over the western into the central interior may be conducive to the development and spread of wild fires where vegetation is dry.
• Hot and humid conditions during the weekend over the Limpopo River Valley and Lowveld may result in a high degree of discomfort.
• Cool to cold and windy conditions over the southern parts, with minimum temperatures in the single digits, possibly accompanied by precipitation in some areas, may pose a threat to small stock in the Karoo and surrounding areas during the weekend.
