South Africa is bracing for a ferocious weather assault as an intense cut‑off low threatens to hammer the Eastern and Western Cape with severe thunderstorms, torrential downpours, gale‑force winds, storm surges and even disruptive snow.
Warning
The South African Weather Service (Saws) has issued a Yellow Level 2 warning for flooding, hail and damaging winds, alongside fire danger alerts, urging residents and farmers to take urgent precautions as the storm system sweeps across inland and coastal regions from Tuesday through Thursday.
“Severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours, resulting in localised flooding of roads, bridges and low-lying areas as well as strong, damaging winds and hail leading to localised damage to settlements and infrastructure are expected over the central parts of Eastern Cape.”
Intense cut-off low
Saws said extremely high fire danger conditions are also expected over the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape.
“An intense Cut-Off Low is expected to affect the Eastern Cape and the eastern parts of the Western Cape from Tuesday (05/05/2026) evening until Thursday (07/05/2026). Adverse weather conditions are expected, including heavy rainfall, strong interior winds and gale-force coastal winds, damaging waves, storm surge, and possible disruptive snow in places over the high-lying areas,” Saws said.
“The public and small stock farmers are advised to take the necessary precautions.”
Here’s what to expect in your province on Monday, 4 May 2026.
Gauteng
Gauteng will experience partly cloudy weather conditions, with cool to warm temperatures and isolated showers and thundershowers.
Mpumalanga
Morning fog patches along the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers in the extreme south-west.
Limpopo
Saws said Limpopo will experience morning fog patches along the escarpment, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with isolated evening showers and thundershowers over the southwestern Bushveld.
North West
The North West has been forecast to be partly cloudy, windy, and cool to warm, with isolated showers and thundershowers, scattered in the west, where it will be cloudy.
Free State
Residents can anticipate partly cloudy, windy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers, scattered in the west, where it will be cloudy.
Northern Cape
Fine over the western interior, otherwise partly cloudy, windy and cool to cold with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the extreme northeast. Morning fog can be expected over along the coast and adjacent interior.
The wind along the coast will be light to moderate northerly to north-westerly.
Western Cape
Cloudy and cool to cold with isolated to scattered showers and rain, but widespread over the south-western parts. It will be fine in the extreme northeast.
The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh westerly to north-westerly, reaching strong along the south-west coast in the afternoon. It will become fresh to strong south-westerly along the south coast from the afternoon.
Western half of the Eastern Cape:
Fine at in the morning, otherwise cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated along the coast and adjacent interior. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly.
Eastern half of the Eastern Cape
Fine at in the morning, otherwise cloudy and warm to hot with scattered showers and thundershowers.
The wind along the coast will be light northerly, becoming moderate to fresh southwesterly in the afternoon.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)
Residents can anticipate morning fog patches over the north central interior, otherwise partly cloudy and warm but hot in the north-east. It will become cloudy in the south-west in the evening with isolated showers and thundershowers.
The wind along the coast will be light north-westerly in the south in the morning and evening, otherwise light to moderate northerly to north-easterly.
