The South African Weather Service (Saws) has issued an orange-level storm warning and yellow alerts signal flooding, strong winds, and heavy rain across Gauteng, Free State, North West, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga on Sunday.
The weather service has released its latest weather forecast for 4 January 2026.
Here’s what you need to know.
Weather warnings: Sunday, 4 January 2026
The weather service has issued an orange level 5 warning for severe thunderstorms leading to flooding of susceptible roads, settlements, low-lying bridges/areas and damage to infrastructure due to heavy downpours and strong damaging winds. The storms are expected over the eastern parts of the Free State, the eastern parts of the North West, Gauteng, and the western parts of Limpopo, as well as the Highveld of Mpumalanga.
Saws also warned of a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms leading to localised flooding of susceptible roads, settlements, low-lying bridges/areas, and localised damage to infrastructure due to heavy downpours and strong damaging winds. The storms are expected over the extreme northeastern parts of the Northern Cape, the western parts of both the Free State and North West, and the western parts of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as along the escarpment of both Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
Fire danger warnings
Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the Dawid Kruiper and Kai Garib municipalities of the Northern Cape as well as the West Coast district of the Western Cape.
ALSO READ: Keep safe and indoors: Severe thunderstorms hit Gauteng
Provincial weather forecast
Here’s what to expect in your province on Sunday, 4 January 2026:
Gauteng:
Residents of Gauteng can expect cloudy and warm weather with widespread showers and thundershowers.
Mpumalanga:
Mpumalanga residents can expect cloudy and cool to warm conditions with scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the Lowveld.
Limpopo:
It will start with morning fog patches along the escarpment; otherwise, it will be cloudy and warm to hot with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread in the southwest.
North West:
Fog patches await the North West residents in the east at first; otherwise, the weather will be cloudy, windy, and warm to hot, with widespread showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the extreme west.
Free State:
Residents of the Free State can look forward to fog patches in the east at first; otherwise, it will be cloudy, windy, and cool to warm, with widespread showers and thundershowers, but isolated to scattered in the west.
Northern Cape:
The day will start with morning fog along the coast; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy, windy, and warm to hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the extreme east, where it will be cloudy. It will be very hot in the extreme north.
Western Cape:
Western Cape residents can expect fine weather in the west; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot but cloudy and cool along the south coast with isolated morning showers and rain. It will be very hot in places in the west.
The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “very high”.
Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.
Eastern Cape (western half):
The day will be cloudy with morning showers along the coast and adjacent interior; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm with isolated thundershowers in places over the interior by late afternoon.
Eastern Cape (eastern half):
The day will be cloudy with morning fog south of the escarpment; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm but cool in the east with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered in the northeast.
KwaZulu-Natal:
Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to morning fog patches in places over the interior; otherwise, the conditions will be partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers but scattered in the west.
The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “high”.
Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.
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