The South African Weather Service (Saws) has warned that heavy rain, hail, damaging winds, and extreme fire danger conditions are expected as weather warnings intensify on Wednesday, New Year’s Eve.
The weather service has released its latest weather forecast for 31 December 2025.
Here’s what you need to know.
Weather warnings: Wednesday, 31 December 2025
Impact-based warnings
The weather service has issued a yellow level 4 warning for severe thunderstorms accompanied by heavy downpours, damaging winds, excessive lightning, and hail, resulting in flooding and damage to infrastructure and settlements expected over the OR Tambo and Amathole Districts of the Eastern Cape.
Saws issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms accompanied by heavy downpours resulting in localised flooding, damaging winds and large amounts of small hail expected over Gauteng, the southern parts of Limpopo, the escarpment and the Highveld of Mpumalanga, the southern parts of the North West, the eastern parts of the Free State and the north-eastern parts of the Eastern Cape.
Fire danger warnings
Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected in places over the Northern Cape and the south-western parts of the Free State, as well as the Beaufort West municipality of the Western Cape.
Advisories
Very hot and uncomfortable conditions are expected over the Khai-Ma municipality of the Northern Cape.
ALSO READ: Severe storms, flooding and extreme heat expected on Tuesday
Provincial weather forecast
Here’s what to expect in your province on Wednesday, 31 December 2025:
Gauteng:
Residents of Gauteng can expect partly cloudy and warm weather with scattered showers and thundershowers.
The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “high”.
Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure.
Mpumalanga:
Mpumalanga residents can expect cloudy and warm conditions with scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers, but isolated over the Lowveld.
Limpopo:
It will be cloudy and warm with isolated showers and thundershowers over the central and southern parts, but scattered over the south-central. It will be hot in places over the Western Bushveld.
North West:
Partly cloudy and warm to hot weather awaits the North West residents with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the west.
Free State:
Residents of the Free State can look forward to partly cloudy and warm to hot conditions with scattered showers and thundershowers, but isolated in the west.
Northern Cape:
The day will be cloudy over the north-western parts in the morning and evening; otherwise, it will be fine and hot to very hot but partly cloudy with isolated showers and thundershowers in the east and central.
Western Cape:
Western Cape residents can expect morning fog patches over the southwest coast and adjacent interior, where it will be cool in places; otherwise, the weather will be partly cloudy and warm to hot with chances of rain along the south coast. It will be fine over the central and northern parts.
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 fine at first; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and warm to hot, with isolated afternoon thunderstorms.
Eastern Cape (eastern half):
The day will be partly cloudy and warm to hot with scattered thundershowers, but widespread in the northeast.
KwaZulu-Natal:
Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to morning fog over the central and western interior; otherwise, the conditions will be partly cloudy and warm to hot with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers, but widespread in the west.
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