Cape Town - Western Cape residents should dress warmly as cold fronts are expected to make landfall this weekend.
Snowfall is also expected.
The South African Weather Service has issued a weather advisory.
“The public and small stock farmers should be advised that loss of vulnerable livestock and crops can be expected due to the combination of very cold, windy and wet conditions. The weak and frail may also be vulnerable, since their bodies won’t be able to retain heat so easily,” it said.
It further cautioned anyone intending on going out to sea to practise extreme caution.
“Difficulty in navigation at sea for small vessels and personal water craft (e.g. kayaks) is likely, which may lead to small vessels capsizing locality (Thursday night and Saturday).
“The spring high tide may allow high energy waves to reach further onto land, causing localised coastal infrastructure damage. The time of concern will be mainly high tide on Friday and Saturday.
“Coastal users (e.g rock anglers) are at risk of being swept away from low-lying areas by infrequent large waves. Localised disruptions to beachfront activities can also be expected,” the weather service said.
According to Vox Weather, three cold fronts are expected to hit, with the first currently moving over the south-west coast, spreading light rain over the peninsula, Cape Town and coastal towns.
This is said to be quickly fizzling out.
The second is expected to make landfall on Friday morning and is set to bring scattered showers and cold conditions to the Western and Southern Cape.
The third cold front will hit the Western Cape late on Saturday.
“Together with a surface trough extending over the west, showers are expected to continue throughout Saturday into Sunday.
“Models are indicating more than 50mm is expected to fall over parts of the Winelands and Mountainous areas of the Western Cape,” Vox Weather said.
Colder conditions are expected to spread across the country this weekend, with a significant drop in temperature reaching Gauteng on Sunday.
“Snow is also expected this weekend over the mountainous areas of the Western, Eastern Cape, in Sutherland and Lesotho,” Vox Weather said.
IOL