The residents of Gauteng are experiencing an unusual cold front which swept through the province bringing with it snowflakes, light rain and strong winds on Monday.
This after the South African Weather Service issued an alert at the weekend for Gauteng residents to brace for the cold front which pushed up from the Western Cape.
Snow is a rare occurrence in Gauteng, with snowfall having been experienced in May 1956, August 1962, June 1964, September 1981 and on June 27 2007.
September 1981 had the greatest snowfall on record, with statistics showing snowfall accumulating up to 10cm across the province.
Monday’s spectacle saw residents brave the cold and head outdoors to take pictures of the snowflakes.
The weather service said clouds in areas that have been experiencing rainfall over the weekend will begin to clear up on Tuesday.
The service’s Venetia Phakula said: “There will be a bit of recovery as we go to Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. For the rest of the week, we’re not expecting anything in terms of rainfall.”
Gauteng Today ‘s Weather overview: 10.7.2023 pic.twitter.com/a60dIKApz7
— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) July 10, 2023
“We issued warnings of disruptive snow over parts of Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday. The warnings remain valid until midnight on 10 July 2023. A threat to life and hypothermia exists if care is not taken.”
According to the weather service, cold weather conditions in Gauteng are expected to last throughout the week.
It said Johannesburg will experience -3/10°C on Monday and -1/13°C on Tuesday, while Wednesday’s weather is forecast at 1/15°C, 2/16°C for Thursday and 5/17°C for Friday.
Across the country, some people shared their experiences on Twitter.
They wrote:
#Snow #southafrica #Gauteng #Mpumalanga https://t.co/LJyZ3JVEZZ
— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) July 10, 2023
Glenvista Joburg pic.twitter.com/JBSl1Oljse
— Joanne S (@Joanne_Seq) July 10, 2023
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