Updated Saturday 17 October 2026, 16:31 SAST
Hot, unsettled conditions dominate the interior over the days ahead, with showers and thundershowers expected over the Free State and Northern Cape today and tomorrow, and over Gauteng today. A cooler change follows on Monday and Tuesday, before temperatures climb again from Wednesday. Coastal provinces stay milder and damp, with slight rain on and off in the Western Cape and rain showers or thundershowers in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape early on.
The sharpest heat is in Mpumalanga, where the mercury could reach 39C on Monday and 37C on Thursday. North West peaks at 36C tomorrow, while the Northern Cape hits 36C today. At the other end of the scale, the Free State drops to a chilly 8C on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and the Western Cape tops out at just 15C tomorrow. The South African Weather Service has warned of veld fire conditions.
Afternoon Update: 16:31
Sunday looks hot across much of the interior, with Mahikeng heading for 35C, Kimberley 33C, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and Mbombela all reaching 32C, and Polokwane 31C under partly cloudy skies, though showers and thundershowers are expected around Bloemfontein, Kimberley and Durban (21-26C). It will be cooler and greyer along the southern coast, with rain showers keeping Gqeberha at 17-19C and cloud holding Cape Town to a mild 13-18C. The South African Weather Service has several warnings in place for extreme veld fire conditions, so please take extra care with any open flames and report fires quickly.
⚠️ New & Updated Weather Warnings
This morning’s other warnings remain in force – full details in today’s morning forecast.
🗓️ Weather Warnings and Advice for the Days Ahead
Source: South African Weather Service severe weather alerts.
7-Day Forecast by Province
Gauteng
4 townsJohannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto, VereenigingJohannesburgShowers and Thundershowers32°/15°30% rainNNW 5 km/hTap for cities and townsTap to close Gauteng
Gauteng
4 townsWestern Cape
4 townsCape Town, Stellenbosch, Paarl, GeorgeCape TownSlight rain18°/14°60% rainSSE 10 km/hTap for cities and townsTap to close Western Cape
Western Cape
4 townsKwaZulu-Natal
4 townsDurban, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, NewcastleDurbanShowers and Thundershowers32°/22°30% rainSSW 15 km/hTap for cities and townsTap to close KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
4 townsEastern Cape
4 townsGqeberha, East London, Mthatha, QueenstownGqeberhaSlight rain23°/17°30% rainWSW 10 km/hTap for cities and townsTap to close Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape
4 townsFree State
3 townsBloemfontein, Bethlehem, KroonstadBloemfonteinShowers and Thundershowers34°/15°30% rainN 10 km/hTap for cities and townsTap to close Free State
Free State
3 townsLimpopo
4 townsPolokwane, Tzaneen, Thohoyandou, MusinaPolokwaneMostly clear33°/14°0% rainNE 10 km/hTap for cities and townsTap to close Limpopo
Limpopo
4 townsMpumalanga
3 townsMbombela, Emalahleni, ErmeloMbombelaPartly cloudy34°/16°0% rainNE 10 km/hTap for cities and townsTap to close Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga
3 townsNorth West
4 townsMahikeng, Rustenburg, Potchefstroom, KlerksdorpMahikengPartly cloudy35°/16°0% rainNNE 10 km/hTap for cities and townsTap to close North West
North West
4 townsNorthern Cape
4 townsKimberley, Upington, Springbok, De AarKimberleyShowers and Thundershowers36°/18°30% rainNNW 15 km/hTap for cities and townsTap to close Northern Cape
Northern Cape
4 townsHow SAWS weather warning levels work
The South African Weather Service issues impact-based warnings. They say what the weather could do to people, roads and homes, not only how strong it will be. Each warning has a colour and a level from 1 to 10.
- Yellow (Levels 1 to 4): minor to moderate impact. Local disruption such as flooded streets, travel delays or damage to informal homes. Stay alert.
- Orange (Levels 5 to 8): significant impact. Major travel problems, power cuts, flooding in low-lying areas and damage to property are likely. Prepare and take action.
- Red (Levels 9 and 10): severe impact. Widespread flooding, washed-away roads, damaged buildings and danger to life. Take emergency precautions at once.
The number also reflects how likely the impact is, so two warnings of the same colour can differ in how likely they are to happen. Always follow SAWS and your local disaster management.
Forecast data: South African Weather Service (weathersa.co.za) and various 3rd party providers and AI Tools.
