FREE STATE Weekend Weather Forecast

Last updated: Friday 16 October 2026, 12:02 SAST – the warnings and advisories below were refreshed after SAWS issued a new high-level alert.

Updated Thursday 15 October 2026, 17:04 SAST

Saturday brings a hot, cloudy day across the Free State, with Bloemfontein climbing from a mild 17C to a sweltering 35C. Kroonstad matches that 35C under grey skies, while Bethlehem in the east reaches 32C with some sunshine peeking through the cloud. Sunday stays hot, with Bloemfontein ranging from 19C to 34C, and showers and thundershowers are expected there and in Bethlehem. Kroonstad stays cloudy at 35C.

SAWS has flagged veld fire conditions in the south of the province, around Mohokare and Kopanong near Fauresmith. Please avoid making fires outdoors, take care with cigarette ends and report any smoke quickly. If storms build on Sunday, head indoors when you hear thunder, and keep plenty of water handy in the heat.

Looking past the weekend? <a href="https://www.saffarazzi.com/news/weather/free-state-7-day-weather-forecast/">Free State's full 7-day forecast, town by town</a>.

Warnings and Advisories for Free State

Red level 10Veld Fire ConditionsEmalahleni / Cacadu / Lady Frere · valid until 18:59 on 16 October▼

Areas

Emalahleni / Cacadu / Lady Frere

Expected impacts

Damage to property/settlements, loss of grazing land and possible loss of animal and/or human life.

What to do: Public is advised not to start any fires under these conditions. At first sign of smoke, every possible measure should be taken in order to bring the fire under control in the shortest possible time.

Red level 10Veld Fire ConditionsMohokare / Maletswai / Aliwal North, Kopanong / Fauresmith · valid until 18:59 on 16 October▼

Areas

Mohokare / Maletswai / Aliwal North
Kopanong / Fauresmith

Expected impacts

Conditions are such that the FDI index is above 75. Under these conditions fires may develop and spread rapidly resulting in damage to property and possible loss of human and/or animal life.

What to do ▼

All personnel and equipment should be removed from the field. Fire teams, labour and equipment are to be placed on full stand-by. At first sign of smoke, every possible measure should be taken in order to bring the fire under control in the shortest possible time. All available aircraft are to be called for without delay.

AdvisoryHeat AdvisoryEnoch Magijima – Molteno / Molteno, Emalahleni / Cacadu / Lady Frere · valid until 23:59 on 17 October▼

Areas

Enoch Magijima – Molteno / Molteno
Emalahleni / Cacadu / Lady Frere

Expected impacts

High discomfort
Heat exhaustion
Dehydration.
Heat related illnesses

What to do: Drink lots of liquids and stay in shaded/cool areas with lots of ventilation. Avoid strenuous activities. Avoid exposure during the hottest time of the day. Do not keep elderly and children inside the cars. Seek help if you feel dizzy, weak, having intense thirst and headaches.

1 itemFire Danger WarningsExtremely high fire danger conditions are expected over most parts of the Northern Cape, eastern parts of the Western…▼

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over most parts of the Northern Cape, eastern parts of the Western Cape, in places over the western and central parts of the Eastern Cape, western parts of the Free State, in places over the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal, south-eastern parts of Mpumalanga as well as the northern and western parts of Limpopo.

The weekend forecast for Bloemfontein comes first, then 2 more towns across Free State.

Weekend Weather Forecast: Bloemfontein

Day		Conditions	High / Low	Rain	Wind
Saturday 17 Oct		Cloudy	35° 17°	0%	NW 15.0 km/h
Sunday 18 Oct		Showers and Thundershowers	34° 19°	30%	N 10.0 km/h

More weather forecasts for the Free State

Tap a town below to open its weekend forecast.

Bethlehem

Day		Conditions	High / Low	Rain	Wind
Saturday 17 Oct		Partly cloudy	32° 15°	0%	NNW 5.0 km/h
Sunday 18 Oct		Showers and Thundershowers	32° 15°	30%	NNW 5.0 km/h

Kroonstad next.

Kroonstad

Day		Conditions	High / Low	Rain	Wind
Saturday 17 Oct		Cloudy	35° 19°	0%	NNW 10.0 km/h
Sunday 18 Oct		Cloudy	35° 20°	0%	NNW 10.0 km/h

That is every town in Free State on our list.

How 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.

FREE STATE Weekend Weather Forecast

Free State's weather for the weekend, 17 - 18 October 2026: Bloemfontein and the province's main towns day by day, with SAWS warnings and advisories.

EASTERN CAPE Weekend Weather Forecast

LIMPOPO Weekend Weather Forecast