Johannesburg - Eskom has warned that it expects South Africa’s electricity demand to increase sharply due to the cold front engulfing parts of the country, but said there were no chances of load shedding.
Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe told ANA on Monday that electricity demand was rising sharply as people were trying to keep warm using electric appliances and other means.
“Electricity demand is expected to rise sharply this evening and over the next few days due to the cold weather conditions, but Eskom does have adequate power supply to meet the demand,” Phasiwe said.
“We urge customers across the nation to continue to use electricity efficiently in order to reduce pressure on the power grid.”
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) forecast showed continued snow in the mountains and the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands while heavy rains were forecast along the coast.
KZN has been hit with inclement weather as snow and freezing conditions struck many of the province’s interior towns, while coastal cities were hit with a deluge of rainfall.
Parts of the Eastern Cape were engulfed in heavy snowfall, leaving some major roads closed to traffic in small towns including Queenstown, Jamestown, Aliwal North, Burgersdorp, Mount Fletcher and Cala.
The Western Cape Disaster Management (WCDM) Centre has also warned that parts of the province should brace for rain storms, flooding, gale-force winds, flooding, and high seas with waves of up to six metres.
According to the forecasts, the weather across the country was expected to start clearing on Wednesday.
African News Agency