Rain and a drop in temperature to below 20 degrees Celsius are predicted for the entire coast from Plettenberg Bay to Durban on Christmas Day, according to the South African Weather Bureau.
”A cold front will be moving in on the coast on Saturday, and there is a 60% chance of showers,” forecaster Ebert Scholtz said on Tuesday.
”The coast, from Plett to Port Elizabeth, could experience some showers late on Saturday,” he said.
”In KwaZulu-Natal, thunderstorms in the interior could move to Durban early on Saturday, and by Sunday, with the high pressure moving in, there will be showers eastwards all along the coast.”
Scholtz said the weather will be ”cooler, almost cold over KwaZulu-Natal” on Christmas Day.
However, the north coast will not be ”cooling that much” and temperatures will top 30 degrees Celsius.
He said Mpumalanga and Limpopo will be hit by the colder, wetter weather late on Sunday, but Cape Town should experience fine Christmas weather.
”We expect maximum temperatures in Cape Town of 27 degrees Celsius on Friday and Saturday, 29 degrees Celsius on Sunday and 31 degrees Celsius on Monday.”
However, a strong south-easter will whip the Peninsula on Christmas Day, he said.
On Monday, the outlook for the east coast is ”cloudy”, he said.
”I think it will clear up fairy rapidly in the Eastern Cape, but in KwaZulu-Natal, I’m afraid it looks rather bad.”
Scholtz said more showers and lower temperatures are predicted for KwaZulu-Natal coast on Monday, and also in Gauteng, North West and the north-eastern Free State.
”One feels sad for all those people who’ve been looking forward for a year to going to the sea. Even today [Tuesday] it is cloudy in KwaZulu-Natal.”
Scholtz said a consolation is that there will be ”nice days in between”. — Sapa