The South African Weather Service says the country is in for a wet New Year’s celebration as cloudy and rainy conditions are expected over large parts of the country for the next couple of days.
Johannesburg motorists woke up to heavy fog in various parts of the city, impeding visibility.
Rain is expected in the North West, Free State and the Eastern Cape, with some severe thunderstorms in parts of the country.
Weather forecaster Madimetja Thema says showers are expected this week.
“We see cloudy conditions over most of the eastern half of the country, lots of tropical moisture from the north. The misty conditions are caused by the rainfall and showers that happened over night. There’s more moisture in the lower levels; so the hot ground and cooler showers make mist or fog in other places. These showers and bands of moisture are expected to stick around for the next coming days into the New Year. So we’re expecting a more wet New Year’s than the past week.”
“Keep safe distance “
Meanwhile roads in parts of Johannesburg have been affected by heavy mist, affecting visibility. The City of Joburg’s Emergency Services spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi says they are on high alert for any weather related emergencies, and urges Joburg residents to keep safe.
“We just want to urge all our motorists who are driving to be cautious on the roads as most roads are wet and slippery; to keep a safe following distance and also our residents in our low lying areas to monitor all the water levels. From our side as Emergency Services, we will remain on high alert throughout the weekend to make sure we can respond to any weather related incidents this weekend.”
