SA Weather Service issues heavy downpours warning for long weekend

Persistent heavy rains across parts of the country have prompted the South African Weather Service to maintain yellow level two and level four warnings into the weekend.

Earlier this week, heavy downpours triggered localised flooding in parts of the North West, damaging roads and bridges in Limpopo and kept emergency services on high alert in Gauteng.

The forecaster warns the risk remains, with more rain, strong winds and thunderstorms expected in several provinces.

The wet conditions are linked to the La Niña phenomenon, a climate pattern where cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean shift global weather systems, often bringing above-normal rainfall to southern Africa.

While this is generally good news for dam levels and agriculture, it also increases the risk of flash flooding, infrastructure damage and dangerous travel conditions.

Low-lying areas and informal settlements remain most at risk, where poor drainage and weak structures make communities more vulnerable to flooding and strong winds.

Authorities are urging residents to avoid flooded roads, secure loose objects and keep up-to-date with official weather warnings.

With the rain set to continue, disaster management teams across affected provinces remain on standby.