Level five thunderstorm warning issued for parts of SA

Lightning during a thunderstorm.

The South African Weather Service has issued a level five warning, which could result in severe thunderstorms over the central interior of the country over the weekend.

Provinces including Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Eastern and Western Cape will be affected.

Forecaster André Fourie says, “We do have a few warnings…we have that orange level five warning for severe thunderstorms over the central interior of the country, which then is surrounded by a yellow level two warning for severe thunderstorms that spreads over the eastern regions of the Northern Cape as well as Gauteng and southern Mpumalanga, all the way down to the coast of KwaZulu-Natal. And then the western interior of KwaZulu-Natal is covered by a yellow level four warning for severe thunderstorms.”

KZN on standby

Meanwhile, the Department of Cooperative Governance in KwaZulu-Natal says it has placed all disaster management teams on high alert following the weather warning issued for the province.

A cut-off low-pressure system across the eastern parts of the country is expected to lead to heavy rainfall, severe thunderstorms and strong winds, from Saturday to Monday.

It was a cut-off low system which led to the deadly and destructive floods in April 2022 in the province, which claimed more than 400 lives.

Department Spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila has urged motorists to drive with caution.

Mzila says, “These teams would be monitoring a number of routes and regions that are prone to weather-related incidents. In terms of the advisory received from the weather service, the province is expecting heavy rains and severe thunderstorms, which could lead to localised flooding and the disruption of transport routes. Particularly, motorists are warned of the dangers posed by wet roads and are urged to drive with caution.”

Weather forecast for today and tomorrow, 14-15 November 2025:
Scattered to widespread showers and thundershowers over the central interior, and eastern parts expected tomorrow.
⚠️Orange level 5 for severe thunderstorms.
⚠️Yellow level 4/2 for severe thunderstorms.#SAWS pic.twitter.com/vX9PgvuHR8

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) November 14, 2025