Durban - Tonight, the bitter cold and snow are going to strike in the southern Drakensberg. Big time.
“Once the cold front has passed and the Berg winds are over and there’s significant cooling, on Saturday night and Sunday morning, temperatures could go down to minus 15,” forecaster Thandiwe Gumede of the SA Weather Service, based at King Shaka International Airport, said yesterday.
“I expect it will be the coldest it’s ever been in the 10 years I have been here,” said Peter Muil, general-manager of the Gooderson Drakensberg Gardens Hotel. We’ve been snowed in three times.“
He added that the cold front appeared to be smaller than some and did not expect the snowfall to go on into the week.
Gumede matched his predictions, saying that while there would still likely be snow on the Drakensberg on Monday, it would start clearing and the cold front would work its way out, over the ocean. Snow will be less intense in the northern Drakensberg due to it being at a lower altitude, she said.
Today, cold and cloudy conditions are predicted all over the province with an 80 percent chance of rain and thundershowers in the southern parts and a 60 percent chance in the northern parts. The possibility of rain would continue into tomorrow.
In the Southern Berg, log fires, hot chocolate, red wine and roast dinners will be the order of the day at resorts in their “Christmas card” settings.
In other settings, the snow is forecast to be “disruptive“, causing road closures especially on mountain passes and give reason for farmers to take precautions for their livestock, according to Gumede.
The interior, from Ixopo in the south to Vryheid in the north, will see south-easterly winds howling at 60 knots today, while southerly and south-westerly winds will blow at around 40 knots on the coast. Tomorrow’s winds and gusts will be half that, petering out by the evening.
Late yesterday afternoon, eThekwini municipality announced the closure of its beaches in anticipation of the bad weather forecast for the weekend.
EThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said all swimming, surfing, fishing, canoeing, and related activities would be prohibited and law enforcement personnel would enforce compliance. “The public is urged to adhere to this notice for their safety,” he said.
Activities such as jogging, walking, running, yoga and other exercises are allowed. The decision may be reviewed depending on weather conditions.
The Independent on Saturday