Orania amongst TWELVE more towns to suffer ‘record low temperatures’
The big freeze has kept South Africa in its icy grip this week, record low temperatures sprung up across the land. Just a few days ago, four towns in Mzansi – including the location where Jacob Zuma is being held in prison – experienced their coldest ever nights. Over the past 48 hours, another 12 places have encountered the same fate.
Record low temperatures across South Africa
Orania finds itself amongst the deep-freeze dozen, breaking a 27-year record in the process. Suburbs of both Kimberley and Johannesburg saw the mercury plummet to previously unexplored depths, as Ermelo and Kroonstad suffered the biting effects of these sub-polar conditions. Lydenburg, meanwhile, recorded two record low temperatures in a week.
- – BRONKHORSTSPRUIT AWS: -7.4C
- – WARMBAD TOWOOMBA: -5.5C
- – KROONSTAD: -7.7C
- – WARDEN – HERITAGE: -6.3C
- – KING SHAKA AWOS: 2.1C
- – MTUNZINI: 1.8C
- – ORANIA AWS: -7.0C
- – ERMELO WO: -4.7C
- – JOHANNESBURG INT: -6.3C
- – KIMBERLEY WO: -8.1C
- – LYDENBURG: -4.3C
- – VENETIA MINE: 0.9C
‘Lowest maximums’ also recorded
In total, 19 locations ended up setting some form of temperature record on the coldest night of the year. Yes, 12 places saw record low temperatures – but a further seven towns and suburbs endured their ‘lowest maximums’.
This means that a record has been set for the lowest peak of a daily temperature. A harbour in Cape Town and a small airport in Port Alfred both smashed their previous lowest maximums, as residents of Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage also went through one of their coldest days on record.
By dropping to a chilly 9C on Friday, Patensie broke a 32-year record. Ngqura also flirted with single figures, dropping down to just 10.0C. In fact, it’s the first time the mercury has ever dipped below 11C in this part of South Africa. You can see a full record of the data here, after SAWS shared it on their Twitter page.
— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) July 23, 2021
A total of 19 new records smashed over the last 24 hours. Many of these records are minimum temperatures. pic.twitter.com/H4E99Drt2o
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