Residents in some parts of Johannesburg took to social media to show off their first-time snowmen and snow angels on Monday morning. The rare snowfall dusted gardens and rooftops in Johannesburg and other high-lying parts of the country. Local weather services are warning of potential road closures and frigid temperatures.
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Snow in Johannesburg ❄️— Sunitha Swanepoel (@_Sunitha_S)
Snow in Johannesburg ❄️ pic.twitter.com/6njI7lsreo
— Sunitha Swanepoel (@_Sunitha_S) July 10, 2023
“We last saw this type of weather in 2012,” says Puseletso Mofokeng, a senior forecaster at the South African Weather Service (SAWS). Mofokeng says the snow was reported acorss the southern parts of the Gauteng province. It is expected to continue falling thoughout the day, hitting high lying regions in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
SAWS issued a Yellow Level 2 warning for disruptive snowfalls, which could lead to icy roads, resulting in traffic disruptions. The warning also means the possible loss of vulnerable livestock and crops.
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“A Yellow Level 2 warning of strong and damaging which could lead to small vessels capsizing, difficulty in navigation of small vessels and localised disruption of small harbours and ports for a short period of time, are expected along the coast of KZN today,” SAWS reportedly said.
Joburg in the heart of winter
Johannesburg lies at an altitude of over 1,700 metres. And while it finds itself in the peak of winter, snow in the city is a rare sight. Prior to 2012, heavy snowfall dropped in 1996, says Mofokeng.
Back in the Western Cape, snow continues to fall over high lying areas as a cold front sweeps through the country. Snow has been recorded in the Cederberg and the mountain at Franschoek and in Worcester. It has also been reported in the Ceres mountains and the Matroosberg Nature Reserve and Stellenbosch.
It’s snowing in Gauteng#ColdFront pic.twitter.com/sl5TZDkFKp
— Billz (@BillzDaOriginal) July 10, 2023
