
Cold front makes landfall with strong winds and chilly weather
The forecasted cold front has made landfall in Gauteng with strong winds violently shaking trees and extremely chilly weather forcing residents to don jerseys, jackets and scarves.
Temperatures are expected to drop significantly, with Johannesburg Emergency Services on high alert to deal with any incident that may occur.
The cold weather is a stark reminder that winter is coming, forcing South Africans to start taking out their blankets.
Cold weather
Gauteng Weather warned residents that the cold front would start sweeping into the province on Wednesday. The chilly weather is expected to continue until the weekend.
Gauteng Weather forecasts temperatures dropping to a minimum of 2ยฐC in Johannesburg, with a high of 14ยฐC.
Pretoria is forecasted to have a minimum of 4ยฐC and a high of 16ยฐC.
The forecasted cold front has made landfall in Gauteng, with strong winds and extremely chilly weather, forcing residents to don jerseys, jackets, and scarves. Joburg Emergency Services Robert Mulaudzi explains. #ColdFront @TheCitizen_News pic.twitter.com/3fMMvZMeMM โ ๐ต๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ โก๏ธ (@FaizelPatel143) May 21, 2025
ALSO READ: Get your blankets out: Cold front to hit Gauteng
Emergency services
Joburg Emergency Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi expressed concern regarding the warning of a cold front.
The South African Weather Service (Saws) has issued a warning for extremely cold temperatures in most parts of the city of Johannesburg. Residents are urged to exercise caution when using heating devices, things like heaters, braziers or paraffin stoves, not to leave them unattended while in use, so that we can be able to prevent fire incidents which might occur at home during this extremely cold temperatures.
'From our side as a city of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services, together with our disaster management and monitoring teams, we remain on high alert, monitoring all seven regions of the city for any emergencies which might occur,' Mulaudzi said.
Other parts of SA
Saws warned of wet, windy, and cold to very cold conditions over western high-lying areas of the Western Cape and southern parts of the Northern Cape and Free State, with a possibility of light snow along the high-lying mountain tops of Western Cape, Eastern Cape up to the Lesotho until Wednesday.
'Farmers and small stock farmers are advised to provide proper shelter, dry bedding, and energy-rich feed to protect their animals against these conditions'.
Saws also warned of extremely high fire danger conditions expected over the Beaufort West Municipality of Western Cape, Thembelihle Municipality of Northern Cape and the extreme northwestern parts of Free State.
ALSO READ: Eskom winter outlook: Here's how many days of load shedding to expect in SA
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IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Winter's fury exposes South Africa's hidden poverty
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Across our provinces, the land is still scarred by the legacy of apartheid and dispossession, and it is the Black majority (particularly the poor and working class) who are left to face the worst of nature's fury, without shelter, resources, or protection. According to the World Bank, 41.8 million South Africans live in poverty in 2025. This is approximately 64% of the entire population. Additionally, according to the SA Human Rights Commission, 64% of all black South Africans are living in poverty, and 41% of all Coloured South Africans are living in poverty. This is significantly higher than any other racial demographic in the nation. The 2022 Stats SA report indicated that the national homeless population had quadrupled to 55 719 since 1996, the dawn of democracy. This number proliferates every year, and winter is the most detrimental for the thousands of people without shelter, particularly during this frigid winter. 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And in our country, the dividing line is race, class, and geography โ a painful echo of our apartheid past that still reverberates through our democratic society. We cannot continue to normalise these conditions, these forms of suffering. This is also shining a light on our issues in governance. There has been a devastatingly poor action of investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, upgrading informal settlements, investing in disaster preparedness and community-led resilience strategies, and more. Ignoring these persistent challenges is no longer an issue. It is now painfully clear that problems don't go away when ignored. As the elders like to say: 'Burying your head in the sand won't stop the storm.' This winter is more than a season โ it's a signal. A call to wake up, to come together, and to fight for a future where no one is left to endure the cold alone. 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