The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has placed large parts of the country on high alert this week, warning of severe thunderstorms, localised flooding, hailstorms and damaging winds across five provinces.
A yellow Level 2 to Level 4 warning has been issued for KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the Free State, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, with forecasters cautioning that heavy downpours and disruptive rainfall could pose serious risks to communities and infrastructure.
The SAWS warned that isolated to scattered thundershowers are expected to dominate the eastern and central parts of the country from Monday to Wednesday.
Areas most at risk include Musina in northern Limpopo, the lowveld of Mpumalanga, and the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal where rainfall probabilities range from 30 to 60 percent.
The eastern half of the Eastern Cape and parts of the North West province are also expected to experience unstable weather conditions, with isolated showers forecast to persist into midweek.
Authorities have urged residents in affected areas to exercise caution, avoid crossing flooded roads and stay updated through official weather channels.
JN/APA