The South African Weather Service has issued an Orange Level 5 Warning for severe thunderstorms across parts of Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, as a powerful weather system called a ‘cut-off low’ moves into the country from the west, bringing heavy rain, chilly temperatures and even snow in some areas from Wednesday, 23 April until Saturday, 26 April 2025.
The weather service issued the warning on Thursday, 24 April, and it will remain in effect until midnight.
The warning indicates a medium likelihood of severe thunderstorms with significant potential impacts, including flooding, large amounts of small hail and excessive lightning. The weather service warned that heavy downpours could lead to flooding of roads and bridges, damage to infrastructure and disruptions to daily life.
The affected areas include Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Mogale City, Rand West City, Emfuleni, Lesedi, Merafong City, Midvaal and Dipaleseng.
