Weather today across South Africa brings a diverse mix of conditions, ranging from disruptive rainfall and strong winds to potential thunderstorm activity.
Weather warnings issued for Thursday, 3 July 2025
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a Yellow Level 4 warning for parts of the Western Cape, a signal of potentially hazardous weather that may result in significant flooding and a threat to life, particularly where streams cross low-lying bridges.
This high-impact warning applies to the western parts of the province, including areas such as Cape Town and surrounding districts.
A Yellow Level 1 warning has been issued for damaging winds expected to affect the extreme southwestern North West Province, the southeastern Northern Cape, and the western Free State.
These winds may result in localised structural damage and elevate the risk of runaway fires in areas with dry surface conditions.
The Eastern Cape, particularly its northern reaches, also faces a Yellow Level 1 warning due to the likelihood of severe thunderstorms. These could bring small hail, strong winds, and excessive lightning, potentially causing localised damage including fallen trees and flying debris.
- Yellow Level 4 Warning – Disruptive Rainfall: Expected in the western parts of the Western Cape, with risks including road flooding and dangerous stream crossings.
- Yellow Level 1 Warning – Damaging Winds: Affects parts of North West, Northern Cape, and Free State, with risks of localised settlement damage and fire outbreaks.
- Yellow Level 1 Warning – Severe Thunderstorms: Issued for northern parts of the Eastern Cape, associated with hail, lightning, and strong winds.
- Fire Danger Warning: Extremely high fire danger over Tokologo Local Municipality in the Free State.
Cities such as Pretoria and Johannesburg will experience cloudy skies with highs around 19–20°C. Bloemfontein and Kimberley will see scattered showers and windy conditions, while Mahikeng and Vryburg will also be windy with possible thundershowers.
In the Cape, Cape Town braces for widespread rain and cooler temperatures (min 12°C, max 14°C). The Garden Route, including George, will be under cloudy skies with isolated rain.
Eastern coastal cities like Gqeberha and East London face scattered showers and thunderstorms, accompanied by strong winds.
Seasonally, the SAWS continues to highlight above-normal rainfall along the eastern and southwestern coastal regions, which aligns with Thursday’s precipitation events.
Minimum and maximum temperatures are forecast to be above-normal across most of the country, except for the southern coastal areas which remain cooler than average.
