Now the heat is on as fire weather warnings issued for SA

South Africa is facing a warm day across the country with high temperatures several red alert weather warnings.

The SA Weather Services has reported that there will be high temperatures in towns such as Durban, which will hit a high of 31C with clear, sunny skies, Pretoria where the mercury will rise to 29C And Johannesburg and Bloemfontein which will see highs of 26 C and 29 C respectively on Friday.  Cape Town will escape the heat for now with temperatures expected to hit a high of only 16 C on Friday. SAWS issued red weather warnings alerted residents to the possibility of veld fires and damaging winds in certain parts of the country.

The high temperatures come on the back of a bitterly cold front that swept parts of the country including KwaZulu-Natal that received a blanket of snow at the weekend. 

SAWS issued red alert weather warnings for veld fires in many parts of the country including the following areas: Enoch Magijima, Molteno, Komani, Queenstown, Sakhisizwe, Elliot, Tarkastad, Jamestown, Barkly East, Senqu, Cofimvaba, Intsika Yethu, Burgersdorp, Lady Frere, Cradock, De Mar, Vryburg, Griquastad, Hoopstad, Tikwana, Wepener, Naledi, Brandfort, Bloemfontein Airport, Kimberly, Aliwal North, Noupoort, Kuruman and Barkley West.

“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 losses human and/or animal life,” SAWS said in its weather warning.

SAWS warned that several parts of the country could also expect the possibility of damaging winds. Among a raft of areas across the country that received a red weather warning alert included: De Air, Griquastad, Wepener, Naledi, Kathu, Warrenton, Magareng, Hopetown, Thembelihle, Bloemfontein Airport, Mangaung, Fauresmith, Kopanong, Kimberly, Sol Plaatjie, Hotazel, Victoria West, Aliwal North, Petrusville, Noupoort, Kuruman and Barkly West.

“Difficult driving conditions an difficulty in executing wind sensitive operations, like working on top of roof structures. Localised damage to vulnerable settlements is also possible, as well as localised power and communication interruptions. Difficulty in controlling run-away veld fires,” the SAWS weather alert warned.